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AN ACCOUNT 



BRITISH EXPEDITION 



HigMands of the Hudson River, 



THE EVENTS CONNECTED WITH THE 
BURNING OF KIN(4ST0N IN ITTT 



READ BEFOKE 



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GEORGE W. PRATT. 




ALBANY: 

MUNSELL & ROWLAND, 78 STATE STREET. 

1861. 






/ 






\ 



PREFACE 



This paper was prepared for the Auiiaal Meeting of The Ulster Histo- 
rical Society, held at Stone Ridge on the 16th October, 1860, with no 
higher aim than to lay before the members, in a connected form, some of 
the materials of our local history during the period of the Revolution ; 
and to preserve facts yet in the memory of our older inhabitants, before 
they too should pass into the " land of forgetfulness." It is much to be 
regretted that an earlier effort, to record the events of the burning of 
Kingston, by some more familiar hand, has not been made; now the 
Historical Society will look after the fragments that remain. Witli my 
thanks to many friends in the county, as well as in New York and 
Albany, who have facilitated in various ways the investigation, aud this 
brief apology for the crudeuess of my sketch, it is committed to the in- 
dulgence of the Society. Q, \y. PRATT 

Attwood, is EsoPns, Nov. 1860. 



VAUGHAN'S SECOND EXPEDITION. 

Eighty-three years ago this day, Thursday, October 
16th, J777, the village of Kingston was burned by the 
common enemy. The Ulster Historical Society has 
chosen to keep in remembrance this anniversary "in the 
day of holding its annual meeting. 

Notwithstanding the severe blow our forefathers 
experienced in this event, and the almost universal cry 
for vengeance which arose throughout the land, it is 
somewhat surprising that even contemporary accounts 
should differ as to the exact day of the landing at 
Esopus. A desire on the part of the Executive Com- 
mittee of the Society to fix the true date, led me to 
investigate the subject, and I will therefore at once 
proceed to mention some of the statements. 

Stednian, a British military historian, says the event 
happened on the thirteenth of October, 1777;^ in this he 
is followed by Gordon, in his History ,2 and by Lossing, 
in his Field Book of the Revolution,^ as well as in a 
more recent publication. A similar date occurs in an 
extract from the JYew York Packet,* and also in Eam- 
sey's History of the American Revolution. 

In \iQa.\.&on''s. JYaval and Military Meinoirs^ we have 
the date of the fifteenth, with which a note to Sparks's 
Conespondence of the American Revolution agrees'^, and this 
IS perhaps more generally followed. But Beatson, in a 
note (p. 249), gives the date of the IGtii, which may thus 
transfer his testimony to the other side ; and a very late 
work, the JYew American Encyclopidia {sub voce Kingston) 
has it upon the 17t|]. The British official reports of the 
expedition are not specific as to the time of tiie land- 
it.g. Gen. Vaughan says " on the evening of the I5th 
instant I arrived off Esopus," and then goes on to detail 
the events of the action, but so worded as not to be at 

1 Vol. I, p. 365. 2 Vol. II, p. 579. ^ Vol. I, p. 388. 

* In Moore's Diary of tlie Revolution, I, p. 510. 
5IV, p. 237. nip. 14. 

1 



4 VAUGHAN'S 

variance with the evidence to be offered in favor of the 
date of tlie 16th. Sir James Wallace gives no time. 

The follovv'ing will fix the true date to be that of the 
sixteenth 

Letter from Governor Clinton to Gen. Gates : 
Kingston, 16th Oct. 1777, 1 o'clock. — " I am to in- 
form you that the Enemy's Fleet, consisting of upwards 
of thirty .sail, anchored last night about six miles below 
the Landing Place of the town which they now lie oppo- 
site to and appear to be making preparations for landing, 
&c." 

Letter from Gov. Clinton to Gen. Putnam, dated 
" Marbletown, seven miles from Kingston, 17 October, 
1777," « * " Kingston was burnt yesterday after- 
noon, because I had not troops to defend it." * 

Draft of a letter from the Council to the N. Y. 
Delegates in the Continental Congress: ' " And on the 
sixteenth instant about two hours before the Governor's 
troops, who made a forced march could arrive, gained 
the Landing; and and iaintly opposed by about 150 
militia only, marched immediately np to Kingston and 
reduced the wliole town to ashes."" 

A sort of journal of the events of the expedition, 
printed in Rivington's Gazette of Nov. 3d, 1~77, dates 
the burning on the I6th, and in this difiers from the 
other account in that paper. 

The testimony of another eye-witness I am permitted 
to quote, chrongh the customary courtesy of our res- 
pected President; it is taken from a valuable diary 
wliich tlie heads of the well-known family of Has- 
brouck h;ive kept for several generations. The entry 
is in the handwriting of Col. Abraham Hasbrouck, 
and runs thus : 

" 1777. Oct. 16. Then the enemy under the com- 
mand of t^eneral Henry Clinton and General Vaughan, 
came to Kingston, in Esopus, and burnt my dwelling 
houses, burn, cider house or store house, and another 
barn, wagon liouse at my late dwelling house, and also 
a small out-kitchen which was left standing when ray 
dwelling house was burnt down the 23d of October, 
1776, and ihe enemy burnt all the houses, barns (except 
one house and barn) in the town, church and county 
house likewise, laid everything in a rubbish of ashes, 

' Spark.s' Correspondence of the Amer. Revolution, II, 543. 
"Jour. I'rov. Conv., I, 1072. 



SECOND EXPEDITION. 5 

fences and everything tliey came to, and they conveyed 
with them one negro man named Henry, two negro 
wenches, Nancy and Flora, and destroyed all my house- 
hold goods and furniture, and my library of books. My 
loss I sustained this time, I compute no less than .£500U 
at least, and house I had in New York burnt by the 
enemy last year, or in the year 1776. * * * 
Thanks be to God for his great goodness, I, my wife 
and children escaped and unhuit out of the enemy's 
hands. Yet my sons Jacobus, Abraham and Daniel was 
in the opposing of the enemy from landing and to 
oppose them to come to Kingston, and showers of shot 
flew on every side of them. 

I pray the Lord will support me under so heavj' a 
trial, and must say with Job, The Lord hath given and 
the Lord hath taken, the Lord's name may be praised. 
The Lord is able to restore it again, and much more 
even an hundred fold. Ilis will be done." * * 
And after some further pious remarks, concludes, " I 
■write this at my son-in-law's, Abraham Hooghteling, 
where I am at present, Nov. 10, 1777." 

A petition of the trustees of Kingston for the 
rebuilding of the court-house, dated in 1782, and pre- 
served in the Legislative papers in the State Library, and 
the inscription placed upon the new court-house both 
mention the day. 

If further evidence could be required, it might be 
added that no difference of opinion, as to the date of 
the sixteenth, has ever existed among the descendants of 
the villagers of 1777. 

The principal events upon the North River which 
immediately preceded the attack upon Kiuuston, may 
not, perhaps, be more precisely stated than ^>y copying 
the following dispatch, the most of which, appeared in 
the London Gazette, of Dec. 2d, 1777, but tlie present 
complete copy, has been recently obtained from the 
Admiralty, in London. 

Dispatch from Commodore Hotham to Vice Admi- 
ral, Lord Viscount Howe. 

Pkeston, Off Peek's Hill Ckeek, ) 
9 Octber, 1777. \ 

My Lord : 

Sir Hy. Clinton having thought it adviseable to 

make a Diversion at this juncture up the North River, 



6 VAUGHAN'S 

and the necessary Arrangements being made in Conse- 
quence ; the Flat Boats and Batteaux on the 3d Inst, 
proceeded to Spikindevil Creek in Three Divisions 
under the Captains Pownall, Jordan and Stanhope ; 
Captain Pownall having the direction of the whole. 

A body of about 1 100 troops were embarked in them 
that evening, and the same Night proceeded to Tarry 
Town, where they landed at day-break, and occupied 
the Heights adjoining. A Second Division, nearly of 
that number, marclied out at the same time from 
Kingsbridge, and foi-med a junclion by land with those 
who passed by water. The Squadron under Captain 
Ommanney had moved up the Day before to receive 
them, the smaller Part of it, namely, the Galleys and 
armed Vessels (as they might be to act separately). I 
thought it adviseable on this Occasion to make a dis- 
tinct Command, and could not place them better than 
under the direction of Sir James Wallace, whose know- 
ledge of the River, as well as Captain Ommannoy's, we 
fully experienced the Advantage of. 

The Third Division of Troops were embarked in 
Transports, and on the 4th in the morning, left New 
York, under Convoy of the Preston, and in the Course 
of the same Tide, arrived ofl' Tarry Town. 

The general Embarkation was that Night made, 
and the Wind being still favourable the Wiiole, pre- 
ceeded by the Squadron under Sir James Wallace as 
advanced Guard, reached Verplank's Point at Noon 
the Day following, and those in the Flat Boats landed 
with Appearance only of an Opposition. Sir James 
Wallace was immediately dispatched higher up the 
River to cut off the Enemy's Communication by Peak's 
Hill Ferry. 

The 6ih at Day-break the general Debarkation took 
Place, and all the Troops, except about Four Hundred, 
who were left to secure Verplank's Neck, were soon 
landed at Stoney Point, upon the opposite Shore, from 
whence they had about Twelve iSIilos to march through 
a mountainous and rugged Road to Fort Clinton and 
Montgomery. 

The Ships and Transports then moved higher up 
and anchored opposite Peak's Hill Landing. 

In the Afternoon the advanced Squadron and the 
two Frigates got under sail and opened Fort Mont- 
gomery, with a view only to make an Appearance, and 



SECOND EXPEDITION. ^ 

thereby to cause a Diversion in favour of tiie Attack, 
wiiich we observed had now begun. Sir James by the 
Help of his Oars, got near enough in with 2 Gallies to 
throw some shot into the Fort. The Cannonading and 
Fire of Musquetry continued until Night, when, b_y a 
naost spirited Exertion a general and vigorous Assault 
was made, and the Two important Forts of Clinton and 
Montgomery, fell by Storm to his Majesty's Arms. On 
which I have the Honour to congratulate your Lord- 
ship most sincerely. 'l"he Reliel Frigates are both 
Burnt, with a Galley, and a Sloop of Ten Guns is taken. 

The loss on the Enemy's Side is not yet exactly 
known, but they are supposed to have had about 100 
killed and 250 taken Prisoners. The greatest Loss on 
the Side of the King's Troops are about 40 killed, among 
whom are some valuable Officers, namely, Lieutenant 
Colonel Campbell, Major Sill, Major Grant and Capt. 
Stewart, and about 150 wounded. 

A Summons signed by Sir Henry Clinton and myself 
was the next Day sent up to Port Constitution, by a 
Flag of Truce, which being fired at returned, and 
determined the General immediately to correct the In- 
sult by an Attack. An Embarkation was accordingly 
made on the Morning of the 8th, and proceeded up the 
river for that Purpose, under cover of the Galleys. 

We found upon our Arrival the Foit had been 
abandoned in great Confusion, theii' Barracks burnt, but 
all their Artillery lelt The whole Number of Cannon 
taken in the Three Foits amount to 57, with a large 
Quantity of Provisions, Ammunition and Stores of all 
kinds to a very considerable Amount. 1 have directed 
such part of the Chain and Boom as cannot be saved to 
be destroyed ; the Construction of both give strong 
Proofs of Labour, Industry and Skill. 

Sir James Wallace with his flying Squadron is gone 
still higher up the River, and if he passes the Chevaux 
de Prize at Polipous Island, he may do essential ser- 
vice, as there can be nothing to give him any Interrup- 
tion. 

When it is considered that this Attack was made 
after a most fatiguing March over Precipices and thro' 
Roads almost impenetrable, whicli made it impossible 
ibr the Troops to avail themselves of the use of the 
Cannon so necessar}' for such a Purpose, and the little 
Assistance they could therein promise themselves from 



8 VAUGHAN'S 

the Ships ; the Access from the Highlands to the Forts, 
renderiog the Approach to them so precarious, it re- 
dounds the more to the Credit of an Enterprise, which 
was i'ormed and executed with equal Judgment, Valour 
and Success. 

The Captains, Officers, and Men under my Command 
have been so strenuously zealous in their Exertions 
on this Occasion, that every testimony is due from me 
in appreciation of their conduct during this service of 
fatigue, of which Captain Pownall has had his share, and 
is well able to inlbrm your Lordship of every particu- 
lar. 

Since I had the honor of writing to your Lordship 
by the Zebra, the Unicorn, Galatea, Danae and Cerberus 
arrived, but all of them are in great {un?>t of) repairs 
and stores. The fifty gun ship's people, having been 
employed in the Elat Boats, will account to your Lord- 
ship for their not having joined yon so soon as you might 
have expected ; but if the General remains any time, I 
shall relieve the Bristol's Flat Boat even by some of the 
Frigate's, that she may be at liberty to proceed with 
the next Express. I have directed Captain Onslow to 
carry on the current date at York until my return, and 
am to acquaint you that I have appointed Mr. George 
Stevens Surgeon's Second Mate of the Preston to act 
as Surgeon of the Elephant, till your Lordship's plea- 
sure be known I have, &c., 

W. HOTHAM. 

P. S. I have the further pleasure to acquaint 
your Lordship that General Tryon is just returned from 
Continental Village, where he has destroyed barracks 
for loOO men, with stores to a considerable amount. 

The capture of Forts Clinton and Montgomery 
and the abandonment of the other posts, enabled the 
British to destroy the boom and chain whicii had been 
extended across tiie river from Cons'.itiition island to 
West Point; and also make a passage for their vessels 
through the chevaux-de-frize at PoUopel's island above. 
These impediments had cost the Americans much trouble 
and expense, and a particular account of them will be 
found in Ruttenber's Obstructions to the JYavigalion of 
Hudson's River, not long since issued in Munsell's elegant 
Historical Series. 

Sir Henry Clinton determined to make a still further 



SECOND EXPEDITION. » 

diversion in favor of Burgoyne, or we might rather say, 
to start an expedition to punisli the people upon the 
banks of the Hudson for their want of loyalty, at tiie 
same time secure some prize money and general booty. 
Accordingly lie organized what is known as the second 
expedition under Gen. Vaughan. Stedman assures us that 
the necessity of a diversion in favor of Burgoyne was not 
even suspected. Preparatory to this expedition he had 
however dispatched Captain Sir James AVallace^ with 
a galley, a schooner and three other small vessels to 
reconnoitre the river. They left the Highlands on the 
nth, and penetrated to within three miles of Pough- 
keepsie, and returned in safety, having " burnt Van 
Keuren's Mills and several buildings on the other side 
of the river with several old vessels along shore." " 

The report of Sir James determined the movement, 
and the following among other naval vessels were 
placed under his command, viz : Dilisent, Lieut. Faru- 
ham ; Dependence, Lieut. Clarke ; Spitfire, Lieut. Scott ; 
Crane, Master Hitchcock ; Raven, 14 guns, Capt, Stan- 
hope. Capt. Wallace himself sailed in the armed vessel 
the Friendship, 22 guns, Capt. A. Jas. Pye Molloy. To 
the armed vessels were added about twenty galleys and 
flat boats, manned from the crew of the Bristol, Experi- 
ment, and other large frigates lying below, the latter 
being under the subordinate command of Capt. Stanhope. 
In order to secure the communication, the Mercury of 
20 guns, was stationed at Pollopel's island ; the Cerberus, 
28, at Stony Point ; the Tartar, 28, at Fort Clinton ; 
Commodore Hotham's own ship, the Preston, 50 guns, 
anchoring between these two last and within signalling 
distance of either. 

On these vessels, about 1600 men^ under the com- 
mand of Major Gen. the Hon. John Vaughan embarked.* 
It consisted of the 7th (Royal Fusileers), 26th and 63d 
Regiments.^ It has been often stated tliat the British 
force was about 3600 men, but it is evident, from a field 
return of the forces serving under Sir Wm. Howe, made 

^Sir .Tames Wallace. (Note I.) 

-Zepli Piatt to the Council of Safety, dated Pouglikeepsie Oct. 
12th (Gates Papers). 

^Commodore Hotham's letter to Lord Howe, d.ated "Preston, off 
Peek's Kiln Creek, L^tli Oct., 1777." 

*Geu. Vaughan. (Note II.) 

= The same to the same, dated "St. Albans, New York, 2IstOct., 
1777." 



10 



VAUGHAN'S 



Nov. 1st, 1777, a copy of which, obtained from the War 
Office in London, is in the writers possession, that the 
strength of the hind forces could not have exceeded 
sixteen hundred men The total quota of these three 
regiments being 1530, while the actual effective " pre- 
sent" on the first of November was only 1261, and they 
had no detachments out. Sir Henry Clinton states his 
force at the storming of the forts to have been 3000 men, 
from which the mistake of the number on Vaughan's 
second expedition has no donbt arisen. 

The 7th Regiment was commanded by Lieut. Col. 
Clarke, its nominal Colonel, the overbearing General 
Prescott, being actually a prisoner to the Americans, 
thanks to the intrepidity of WiHiam Barton, whose 
exploit in seizing him in iiis bed at Newport, will not 
soon fade from the annals of heroism. This regiment 
lost its colors, which had been left in store, by the cap- 
ture of Fort Chamblee, in October, 1775, during Mont- 
gomery's invasion of Canada. Lord Adam Gordon's 
Regiment, the 26th, was in the field under its Major, 
also named Gordon. To this regiment belonged the 
unfortunate Andre, who although a captain in the line, 
was temporarily on the staff of Major Gen. Grey, .and' 
tJierefore not present at the burning of Kingston! The 
63d (Gen. Grant's; had suffered severely in the at- 
tack on the Highland forts, and where its commandant, 
Major Sill, was killed ; several of its officers did not 
accompany the expedition, and although the strongest 
in numbers, was on this occasion, probably commanded 
by Captain Hazlewood. Captain Lord Rawdon, better 
known at a later period of the war, was absent from his 
regiment at this time. 

The expedition sailed from Peekskill on the 14th 
of October, with a fair wind, and the following night an- 
chored off Esopus island. They did not stop much along 
the way, occasionally capturing a vessel, and now and 
then firing at the dwelling of some well known Whig, like 
that of Henry Livingston, at the lower landing in Pough- 
keepsie, where we are told by jMr. Lossing, i'n his inter- 
esting Field Book of the RevoMion, the marks of a shot 
may still be seen. 

The Americans were not idle or listless at this time ; 
Governor Clinton who barely escaped capture at the 
storming of the forts, on the 7th, from New Windsor, 
communicated the loss of these places to the Legislature 



SECOND EXPEDITION. 11 

then in session at Kingston, with a request for them to 
urge the detachment of the Ulster and Dutchess militia 
from the northern army under Gen. Gates. Rightly 
judging that the enemy would endeavor to penetrate 
farther than the Highlands, he had thus reason to fear 
that they would attempt Kingston, the most important 
town on the river between New York and Albany, and 
on the 10th he thus writes to the Council : 

Head Qdarti-rs, Mrs. Falls, 10 Oct., 1777. 
Gentlemen: 

When I wrote you last, I was in great hopes of 
being able to have collected and embodied as many of 
the Militia of this and Orange County as with the two 
small Continental Regiments now with me, and the 
Reinforcement promised me by General 1. Putnam, I 
should have such a formidable force as to enable me to 
prevent the enemy's penetrating the country, by throw- 
ing myself in between them and the most important 
places as they moved up the River. But 1 am sorry to 
inform you I am greatly disappointed in my expecta- 
tions. The Militia do not join me as I could wish, they 
are well disposed but anxious about the immediate 
safety of their respective families, who for many miles 
back are moving yet farther from the River, many of 
them come in in the morning, return in the evening, 
and I never know when I have them or wliat my strength 
is. The Reinforcement I had reason to expect and 
was promised by General Putnam, I am informed by a 
letter from him last night is only to consist of Brinker- 
hoof 's Regiment, which I am sure will not pass the 
i-iver, indeed it would be unreasonable to expect them. 
This being my situation I think it my duty to advise 
you of it, as my only hopes are that my force may not 
lie known to the enemy and that this may deter them 
from doing what if they should attempt, I conld not 
prevent. 

I have 7 Field Pieces with me, five of the heaviest 
I have ordered on the west side of the Wallkill, 
towards Shawangunk, which is the route I mean to 
take to Kingston, the moment the enemy move up the 
River. 

I wish some small works could be thrown up towards 
the Esopus Landing so as to cover the Landing and the 
Defiles leading to the Town. Every man that can fire a 
Gun should be immediately embodied and employed at 



12 VAUGHAN'S 

those works. I rejoice with you on the most agreeable 
Intelligeuce fi'om the Northward, and thank you for 
the Early Communication of it. 1 know of no Enemj- 
on this side Butterhill Clove. The four Vessels that 
were near Polopels Island fell down out of sight yester- 
day Evening. I am with much Esteem, 

Yoiir most obedt. servt., 
Geo. Clinton. 

The regiments of militia from the lower part of 
Ulster county suftered considerably in killed, wounded 
and prisoners at the forts, so that it was no easy matter 
for Governor Clinton to collect a sufficient force to 
resist the threatened demonstration. On the east bank 
General Putnam had about six thousand men, mostly 
militia, and this army now held Sir Henry Clinton in 
check in this direction, although it is not quite so clear 
that Gen. Putnam could not have rendered a more im- 
portant service in going to the assistance of the garri- 
son of the Highland forts on the 6th. At any rate the 
royal generals did not seem to be in much fear of this 
army. Perhaps a critical narrative of the events in the 
Highlands during these few days, in which the matter 
will appear in its true light, may yet be written. 

Governor Clinton says his plan, in case of the 
advance of the enemy, would be to make a forced march 
down the west side of the Waalkill and thus cover 
Kingston. 

The captureof a spy by the name of Daniel Taylor, 
charged with a message from Sir Henry Clinton to 
General Burgoyne occurred on the 9th; the incidents 
of this man's arrest, trial and execution I have thrown 
together in the appendix.' 

Sir James Wallace's reconnoitering expedition up 
the river on the 11th, alarmed the Governor, and from 
" Little Britain, 3 miles from New Windsor, 12th Oct., 
1777," alter some general matters he wi-itesto the coun.^ 
oil at Kingston, as follows : 

" I am at this moment favoured with your letter of 
yesterday. The militia of Shawangunk are now with 
me. I have sent a proper guard there from another 
quarter, for the artillery ; which, in my opinion, is nnich 
better than to leave men of the neighbourhood (or that 
purpose. Col. Snyder's regiment may continue at 



SECOND EXPEDITION. 13 

Kingston, to throw up the necessaiy works to defend 
the huiding and town. The rest of the reinforcement 
from the northward must immediately join me. Were 
the whole to continue with you, they would not be able 
to meet the enemy should the}' pass by and land near 
Kingston ; and should they take their route by land, 
which is most likely, with my present force, which con- 
sists of the militia of this quarter of the country, two 
small continental regiments and Col. Sutherland's regi- 
ment consisting of 130 men. Oat of these I have strong 
guards along the river shore who have orders to keep 
pace with the vessels now in the river, and throw them- 
selves between them and Kingston landing, should they 
go that high up. I am persuaded it is not only for the 
safety of Kingston, which I have much at heart, but 
for that of the country in general, that I should have 
my whole force collected to one point ; as in that case 
I shall be able to meet and oppose the progress of the 
enemy, or at least throw myself in between the enemy, 
and such places as maj^ be an object with them to gain, 
which shall be my constant care to do." 

The postscript adds, "From many circumstances, 
I am persuaded the enemy are about moving. Gen. 
Clinton's being out when my flag was down yesterday, 
this small fleet coming up the river confirms me in this 
opinion ; and I believe it will be by land, against some 
of our stores, and to ravage the country."' 

By a resolution of tlie Convention passed December 
21st, 1775, the Ulster County Jail was made the jail 
of Congress.^ Johannes Sleght, Chairman of the Kings- 
ton Committee, in a letter written on the 8th of July, 
1776, tells the Provincial Congress that " it is also well 
known that our town has for a long time been crowded 
(and is yet) with a set of ministerial cut-throats, regular 
officers and soldiers sent here as prisoners." ■'' 

'i'hese prisoners. Gov. Clinton directs the Commis- 
sary, Abram B. Bancker,* to remove toWawarsing; and 
as there could be no doubt of the benevolent intentions 
of Sir Henry Clinton towards the rebel authorities and 
their estates, he forwarded his personal eflects from his 

'Jour. Prov. Conv., I, p. 1069. 

2 Jour. Prov. Conv., I, p. 231. ' tbid. II, p. 305. 

* Mr, Bancker was, for many years after the revolution. Clerk of the 
Senate, and died at Kingston, Feb. 7th, 1800, aged 51 years. 



14 VAUGHAN'S 

house in Little Britain to Kingston — his brother-in-law, 
Doctor Peter Tappen, removing Mrs. Clinton and the 
family to Pleasant Valley, in Dutchess County, where 
they remained until the marauders returned to New 
York. 

A statement of the plan of government of the 
State, and the action upon it down to this period, will 
enable us to appreciate the position of aftairs at this 
juncture. 

The i-evolutionary authority iu New York was ex- 
ercised by a Provincial Convention which assembled at 
the Exchange in New York city, April 20th, 1775, 
and to which Charles DeWitt, George Clinton and Levi 
Pawling were sent as delegates from Ulster County. 

The members from this county in the subsequent 
Provincial Congress were as follows : 

First Provincial Congress. 

Met at New York, May 23d, 1775. 

Col. Johannes Hardenbergh of Rosendale, Col. 
James Clinton of New Windsor, Egbert Dumond of 
Kingston, Charles Clinton of Little Britain (not pre- 
sent), Christopher Tappen of Kingston, John Nichol- 
son of New Windsor, and Jacob Hoornbeck of Roches- 
ter. 

Second Provincial Congress. 

Met at New York, Nov. 14th, 1775. 

Henry Wisner, Jr., of Walkill, Matthew Rea of 
Shawangunk,Dirck Wynkoop, Jr., of Kingston, Matthew 
Cantine of Marbletown, Andries Dewitt of Kingston, 
Andries Lefever of New Paltz, Thomas Palmer of New- 
burgh, and Samuel Brewster of New Windsor. 

Third Provincial Congress. 

Met at at New York, May 14tli, 1776. 

Col. Charles DeWitt of Hurley. Col. Abraham Has- 
brouck of Kingston, Col. Johannes Snyder of Kingston, 
Matthew Cantine, Matthew Rea, Major Arthur Parks 
of Montgomery, Henry Wisner, Jr., of Walkill, and 
Samuel Brewster. 

In a list given at the end of the Journal of this 
Congress the name of George Clinton occurs, and it is 
noted that he " is now in his place." His name, how- 



SECOND EXPEDITION. 15 

ever, is not included in the published credentials, and 
he was at that moment a member of the Continental 
Congress. 

The fourth Provincial Congress assembled at White 
Plains, in Westchester county, July 9th, 177(), when 
the Declaration of Independence was immediately 
adopted, and the following day the style of the House 
was changed to that of the "Convention of the Repre- 
sentatives of the State of New York." 

Matthew Cantine, Col. Charles DeWitt, Major Ar- 
thur Parks, Col. Levi Pawling, Mathew Eea, Major 
Christopher Tappen, Col. Johannes Hardenbergh and 
Henry Wisner, Jr., were the lepresentatives from Ulster 
County in this body. It adjourned to Fishkill August 
29th, 1776 — thence it moved to Kingston on the 19th 
of February, 1777. During this period the govern- 
ment was often in the hands of ;i small portion of 
the Convention styled a Coni?niUee of Safety, so that 
public affairs could be carried on, it linving been found 
extremely difficnlt to keep so large a body together at 
this critical period of our history. 

Some sketches of the personal history of the Ulster 
County Members of these Congresses are included in the 
appendix.^ 

During this time the local organization was 
maintained and the friends of liberty were active at 
home. 

A letter from Robert Boyd, Jr., Chairman of the 
Ulster County Committee, in June, 1776,^ shows the 
plan of the county organization : 

" The County Committee is composed of two mem- 
bers from each Precinct Committee, save Kingston, 
which claims the privilege of sending four. The mem- 
bers of the Precinct Committees generally attend Coun- 
ty Committee by rotation for their own ease and conve- 
nience." 

It is very doubtful whether the minutes of the 
proceedings of either the County or Precinct Commit- 
tees still exist; they would be valuable for our local 
history, and further search for them should be made. 

On the 31st of Jan., 1777, it appears that " Messrs. 
Duane and Robert Yates, returned from Kingston, re- 
ported in substance that they had conferred with the 

1 Note IV. 2 Amer. Archives, 4th Series, VI, p. 898. 



16 VAUGHAN'S 

committee of Kingston, in Ulster county, and find that 
if the convention should move to that place, fifty mem- 
bers may obtain good accommodations. That the price 
will be twenty shillings per week. That the Court 
Housfi or a large room in the said building, will be con- 
venient for the Convention to, meet in."' 

It is thus probable that the Convention, or rather 
the Committee of Safety, first met at the Court House 
in Kingston. 

The Convention may have changed its place of 
meeting for a time in consequence of the annoyances 
arising from the crowded state of tlie jail below the 
chamber in the Court House. Indeed, we find that on 
motion of Governeur Morris, on the 18th of March, 1777, 
the following curious preamble and resolution was 
passed. 

"Whereas from the past want of care of the prisoners 
now confined in the jail immediately underneath the 
Convention Chamber, the same is supposed to have 
become unwholesome, and very nauseous and disagree- 
able efiiuvia arises, wliich may endanger the health of 
the members of this Convention. Therefore, 

Resolved, That for the preservation of their health, 
the members of this Convention be at libeity at theii- 
pleasure to smoke in the Convention Chamber while 
the house is sitting and proceeding on business." 

Suprising to relate, this smoking resolution met 
with great opposition among a community of Dutch- 
men, and it only passed by a majority of "three votes, 
the representatives of two counties not having been 
able to agree upon this momentous question. No such 
dispute arose in the Council of New Amsterdam, in the 
days of Peter " tlie Headstrong," and it is evident that 
the elements were much disturbed in these latter days. A 
horrible account of the condition of the jail in Kingston 
in April, 1776, is given in a letter of Bryan Leffertse, a 
stateprisoner there, preserved in the Mercantile Library, 
New York. 

I have been somewhat minute in this particular, 
because it is the general belief, and well founded too, I 
think, that the Constitution was adopted at the inn of 
Capt. Evert Bogardus, the rebuilt edifice being after- 
wards known as the "Con stitution House," — a stone 

1 Jour. Prov. Conv., I, p. 794. 
-Jour. Pro7. Cony., I, p. 842. 



SECOND EXPEDITION. 17 

building standing- on the corner of Maiden Lane and 
Pair street. In the year 1856, having became much 
dilapidated it was demolished to make way for the 
residence of James W. Baldwin, Esq., its owner.' 

After much discussion the Convention adojited the 
State Constitution on the evening of Sunday, the 20th 
of April, 1777, and pursuant to a resolution it was pro- 
claimed at the Court House at eleven o'clock on the 
morning of the 2i;d following, and on the 13th of May 
this distinguished body finally dissolved, leaving power 
in the hands of a Council of Safety. 

The election under the Constitution was held,^ and 
on the 30th of July the Council declared George Clin- 
ton duly chosen Governor ; a copy of the proclamation 
issued on that occasion has been printed in our Collec- 
tions (vol. I, p. 66). 

On the same day it was 

" Ordered, That the said proclamation be made and 
published by the Sherifl' of Ulster County, at or near the 
Court House in Kingston, Ulster County, at six o'clock 
this afternoon. 

And in order that due ceremony should be ob- 
served in this matter they further 

'•' Resolved, and Ordered, That Captain Evert Bogar- 
diis and Captain John Elmendorpli do cause the compa- 
nies of militia, under their respective commands, to 
appear at the Court House in Kingston at six o'clock 
this afternoon, properly armed and accoutred, at which 
time and place His Excellency George Clinton will be 
proclaimed Governor of this State." ^ 

The record assures us that it was done in due form 
in the presence of the Council, and thus was inaugu- 
rated the first republican government of the now 
"Empire State." It was a great day for Kingston, but 

1 A woodcut of this building is given in Barber & Howe's Histoi: Col- 
lections of N. Y., p, 6o8. Another and more artistic one may be found 
in Lossing's Field Book of the Revolution, vol. I, p. 387, but these authors 
are in error when they state it to be the identical building in which the 
Constitution was formed. The stone walls of the original structure un- 
doubtedly remained after the conflagration of the village, but all that fire 
would consume of it was destroyed by V.TUghan. As will afterwards 
appear, only the house in Wall street now belonging to Abraham T. 
Van Steenbergh escaped the fire of 1777. 

2 "In the county of Ulster, at the Court House in the town of Kings- 
ton! at the house of Ann DuBois, in New Paltz ; at the house of Sarah 
Hill, in Hanover precinct; at the house of Martin Wygant, in the pre- 
cinct of Newburgh," (.Jour. Prov. Conv., I, p. 917). 

Uour. Prov. Conv., T, p. 1022. 



18 VA0GHAN'S 

the people of this devoted town not lone; after expiated, 
" in dufit and ashes," their attachmei\l to the principles 
of liberty, and the peculiar distinction their village 
enjoyed as the seat of the new State government. 

The newly chosen Legislature was appointed to 
meet at Kingston on the 1st of August, but for weighty 
reasons Gov. Clinton prorogued it to the 20th of Au- 
gust, and again until Sept. 1st ; however, no quorum of 
the Senate appeared until the 9th of that month, and 
the Assembly did not organize until the following day. 

At this tirst Legislature, Col. Levi Pawling of Mar- 
bletown attended as the Senator from the Ulster County 
portion of the middle district ; and John Cantine of 
Marbletown,^ Johannes G. Hardenbergh of Rochester, 
Mathew Rea of Shawangunk, Cornelius C. Sclioon- 
maker of Shawangunk, Col. Johannes Snyder of Kings- 
ton,- and Henry Wisner, Jr., of Wallkill, were tlie 
members of Assembly from Ulster County — then com- 
prehending all liie river shore from Murderer's creek 
near tlie Highlands to the Sawyer's creek, just above 
Saugerties, and embracing the present county of Sulli- 
van, with Delaware up to the east branch of the Dele- 
ware river, and the north eastern towns of Orange. 

The Senate sat at the house of Abraham Van 
Gaasbeck, a stone building, constructed after the tlien 
" Esopus fashion," the last one on the west side of East 
Front street, near the junction of that street with North 
Front. This fact is shown by au entr}' in the Journal 
of the Provincial Convention,^ its own records not 
mentioning any room. This house has recently been 
occupied by the Rev. Dr. Westbrook. 

'In " The Indians ; or Narratives of Massacres and Depredations on 
the Frontier, in Warwasink and its Vicinity, ^c," Rondoiit, 1S46, there 
are some statements not very flattering to the courage of Col. John 
Cantine. 

- Johannes Snyder was a Major in tlie Militia in 1775, but was after- 
wards appointed to the command of one of the regiments. He resided 
at Kingston and was one of tlie superior officers present on the day of 
the liritish attack. He seems to have been a Magistrate and Trustee of 
the Corporation. The present residence of Jonatlian H. Hasbrouck, 
Esq., on the southwest corner of Fair street and Maiden lane, opposite 
the " Con.stitution House," occupies the site of his house. I believB 
that none of his descendants remain at Kingston. 

'Vol. I, p. 1101. I have the locality of this house from Major Van 
Gaasbeck, to whom I am much indelited for information relative to the 
history of Ulster County. This Abraham Van Gaasbeck was a grand, 
son of the worthy Dominie Laurontius Van Gaasbeck, whose diploma 
{Med. Doctor) Irom llie University of Leyden the Major still preserves. 



SECOND EXPEDITION. 19 

A room in Capt. Bogardus' inn was called the 
" Assembly Chamber," and the lower house probably 
held its session there, as they are summoned to meet 
the Governor and Senate at the Court House, which 
would hardly have been necessary, had the sessions of 
the As^'.embl}- usuall}- taken place in that building. Be- 
sides this, the Supreme Court was organized by Chief 
Justice Jay, at the Court House, on the ninth of Sep- 
tember, and, of course, required the court room for its 
legitimate purpose. 

The Governor resided, during his stay in Kingston, 
at the house of his brother in-law, Christopher Tappen, 
Esq., situated on the southwest corner of Wall and 
North Front streets. It was immediately rebuilt after 
the fire, and of late has beeu occupied as a drug store 
by Peter E. Jausen. At this house Gov. Clinton re- 
ceived the address of tlie Legislature. 

The Legislature remained in session at Kingston 
until October 7tli, when the Senate adjourned for the 
day, but in fact " without day," the journal of its next 
meeting, at Poughkeepsie under the head of January 
5th, 1778, containing the following: 

" About noon on Tuesday the seventh daj' of 
October, last, news came by Express of the Reduction 
of Fort Montgomery, in the Highlands, and its Depend- 
encies by the Enemy. And although this Senate there- 
foi-e adjourned till Wednesdaj' morning, the eighth of 
October last, yet so many members of the Honorable, 
the House of Assembly, absented themselves on military 
Service, and for the necessary care of their Families, in 
Consequence of the Event, that there was not a sufB- 
cient Number of them left at Kingston to form a House 
for Business ; which reiulered the Sleeting of the Senate, 
according to Adjournment, useless ; and therefore the 
Senate ceased to attend on the public Business, until 
His Ex., the Gov., thought proper to convene the 
Legislature of this State, by His Proc. in the Words 
following, to-wit : &c "' 

A siniihir entry occurs in the Assembly Journal, the 
first part of which document had hardly been com- 
pleted at Holt's press in Kingston, when Vaughan's 
expedition landed. 

It being impossible to continue Legislative business 
in the prescribed form, on the seventh of October, a 

'Senate Journal, Xst Session. 

3 



20 VAUGHAN'S 

meeting of tlie members of the Senate and Assembly 
was convened by unanimous consent in Kingston. 
Senator Pawling and Messrs. Hardenbergh, Snyder, 
Schoonmaker and Rea, Assemblymen from Ulster 
Countj', were in attendance, with about forty other 
members of the Legislature. 

Lieut. Governor Van Coiirtlandt, was chosen pre- 
sident of the Convention, and John McKesson and 
Robert Benson, Secretaries. 

They remained in session but a few hours, but 
in order to keep up the local organizations, passed 
resolutions continuing the county and district com- 
mittees, as well as the commissioners for detecting and 
defeating conspiracies, as (hey existed on the preced- 
ing 13th of September. 

To defeat tlie possible intention of the enemy, who 
was now in possession of the Highlands, should he move 
up b}' water, they 

" Resolved, That the members of the several Com- 
mittees be, and they hereby are, required to lade all 
vessels which may lie at the different landings, and 
other places along Hudson's river, with flour, wheat, 
and any other kind of provisions which may be near 
the shores of the said river, and send the said sloops 
and vessels to Albany, &c. 

Resolved, That tlie said committees respectively do 
forthwith cause all the cattle and live stock near or 
contiguous to either side of Hudson's River, except 
such parts tiiereof as, in their judgment, shall be neces- 
sary for the present use of the respective proprietors 
thereof, to be removed into the interior parts of the 
country on the several sides of the said river, to be 
taken cave of by keepers to be by them severally ap- 
pointed. * * * * * And in case any 
person or persons sliall obstinately refuse to permit his, 
her or their cattle or other stock to be so removed, that 
then and in sncli case, the said committee be, and tliey 
hereb}' are empowered to destroy the same, &c., &c." 

They then appoint a committee of safety in the.se 
terms : 

" Resolved, That William Floyd, John Morin Scott, 
Abraham Yates, Johannes Snyder, Egbert Benson, 
Robert Harper, Peter Pra Van Zandt, Levi Paulding, 
Daniel Dunscoinb, Evert Bancker, Alexander Webster, 
William B. AViiiting and Jonathan Langdon, Esquires, 



SECOND EXPEDITION. 21 

or any seven of tlieiii, be, and they are hereby appointed 
a Council of Safety, and they be, and hereby are, 
in the recess of the House, vested with the like powers 
and authorities which were given to the bite Council of 
Safety, appointed by the last Convention of this State ; 
that every member ol' the Senate and Assembly, and the 
Delegates of this State in Congress, be entitled from time 
to time to sit and vote in the said Council ; and that the 
said persons, or any seven of them, be and continue a 
Council of Safety, so long as the necessities of this 
State shall require, and no longer. 

Resolved, That the Governor, or in his absence, the 
President of tiie Senate, when they shall respectively 
be present at the said Council, shall preside at, and upon 
an equal division, have a casting voice in the same."^ 

On the morning of the Sth of October, the new 
Council of Safety assembled, and chose Mr. Floyd Pre- 
sident -pro tempore. 

In order to secure the state prisoners, a large 
number of whom were confined in Kingston jail, as well 
as on board two or three vessels moored at the mouth 
of the creek, and termed the Fleet Prison, the Council 
directed them to be removed to Hartford, Conn. Cor- 
nelius C. Elmendorph was the Commissary for supplying 
these prisoners, and Doctor Luke Kiersted the attend- 
ing physician. They seem to have been guarded by a 
company from Col. Pawling's regiment of militia, 
under the command of Capt. Frederick Schoonmaker, 
and the armed sloop Pludson, Capt. Benson, was anchor- 
ed near the prison vessels. 

The correspondence between the Council of Safety 
and Governor Clinton was actively kept up, men from 
Capt. Silvester Salisbury's troop of Kingston Light- 
Horse," being stationed on the road south of the village 
to facilitate the matter. 

The danger from the enemy seemed so imminent 
that the pnl)lic records were ordered boxed and ready 
to be moved at a moment's warning ; and it was 

'■Resolved, That Messrs. Snyder, Schoonmaker, Lang- 
don and Benson,' be requested to take four hundred 

'Jour. Prov. Conv. I, p. 1061. 

-Capt. Salisbury resided in the Pine Busli district of Kingston, and 
was connected witli the Van Gaasbecks; from their manuscript genealogy 
the wliole family can be traced out. He died April 10th, 1785, aged 42 
or 43 years. 

3 (Chancellor Kent's sketch of the life and services of Egbert Benson 
may be found in Thompson's Long Island, II, p. 487. 



22 VAUGHAN'S 

pounds, at interest, at six per cent, from Abraham 
Hasbroiick, Esq.,^ and pay the same to the Commis- 
sioners for conspiracies ; and that this Council will 
indemnify them for the same.' " 

On the 9th strong resolutions were passed to im- 
press wheat for the use of the troops, and steps taken 
to secure the military stores. ' Gov. Clinton in a letter 
read at the afternoon session gives an account of 
matters after the fall of the forts, and says : 

■' As soon as ever I find the shipping are likely to 
pass the chevaux-de-frise, 1 will by a forced march 
endeavor to gain Kingston and cover that town. I 
shall have one brass twenty-four pounder, and six smaller 
field pieces, which will make a formidable train. 

1 am persuaded if the militia will join me (which 
I have reason to hope), we can save the country (a few 
scattering houses along the river excepted), from de- 
struction, and defeat the enemy's design in assisting their 
northern arm_v." 

The session of the 10th of October is an active one 
and shows the state of alarm prevailing at Kingston. 

A large quantity of saltpetre at tiie landing is 
ordered to be removed from the shore, and the Council 
passed the following resolution: 

"Resolved, That Colonels Pawling and Snyder be re- 
quested to issue the necessary orders to liave all the 
male inhabitants in the districts of their respective 
regiments of 16 years and upwards capable of bearing 
arms immediately equipped and provided with arms 
and ammunition and to appoint proper alarm Posts and 
places of rendezvous for the r-espective companies to 
repair to in case of the approach of the enemy." 

Other resolutions direct Gerard Bancker, Vice 
Treasurer ; John Henry, Commissary of Clothing ; the 
Secretai-ies of the Convention, as well as Messrs. 
Abram Hasbrouck, Joseph Gasherie,' Dirck Wynkoop, 

' Abraham Hasbrouck, Note V. 

-Jour. Prov. Conv., I, p. 1064. 

'Joseph Gasherie was appointed, March 1.3th, 1778, tlie first Sur- 
rogate under tlie new State Government, and continued in this office 
until elected Senator from the middle district, in 1784 ; during his 
term he was a member of the Council. Immediately after its close he 
was reappointed Surrogate by Governor Clinton, and held it at the time 
of his death, which occurred in Kingston, Jan. 16th, 1806. 



SECOND EXPEDITION. 23 

Jr.,' Christopher Tappeii and Samuel Bayard, Jr., who 
had charge of the Public Records of the Colon}- (deposit- 
ed at Kingston in June, 1776), to remove the property in 
their custody to Rochester. The arrangement for pro- 
per places of deposit at Rochester is to be left to 
Hendricus Hornbeck, Johannes G. Hardenbergh and 
Comfort Sands." In case of necessity Judge Wynkoop 
and Oke Sudani will impress teams to convey this pro- 
perty. A captain's guard was afterwards ordered to 
be furnished from Col. Pawling's legiment for the 
public recoids at Rochester. 

Kingston seems to have been a general place of 
deposit for the Westchester, Albany and Ulster County 
records, whicli, with the [)apers of the Receiver Gen- 
eral of the Colony, are dispatched to Rochester along 
with the others. 

On the nth the Council ordered the militia from 
the vicinity of Shawangunk lo join tlie Governor's 
army, and all the rest of the Ulster County force to 
assemble at Kingston, The order to Capt. Benson to 
land liis arms and munitions of war and take provisions 
to Albany, saved the sloop Hudson from the fate of 
the other vessels lying off the point 

Where the sessions of the Council had been, up to 
this time, is not stated in the Journal, but most likely at 
the Court House. This afternoon the adjournment is 
to Conrail C. Elmendorf's tavern,^ where they continued 
to beheld while Kingston remained standing. 

The old remark that " there are no Sundays in 
war " applies to the affairs of State at this juncture, for 
the Council remained in session all day on Sunday. On 
the following morning they have Governor Clinton's 

1 A short notice of tlie public services of Judge Wyiikoop is found 
at p. 6fl of vol I of the Ulster Historical Society's Collections. It is 
to be regrett^d that the papers of this gentleman have been destroyed ; 
they 7riight have been of nuieh use in illustrating our local history 

-For a biogr.aphieal sketch of Comfort Sands, see Thompson's 
Hiatory of Long bland, I, 465. 

3 The inn of Conrad C. Elinendorf was on the northeast corner of 
Maiden lane and Fair street, and the present house belongs to the family 
of the late Judge Van Buren. It became somewhat famous as the head 
quarters of the Clinton party — the " Constitution House," on the other 
corner, diagonally', being the place of reudezvouz for the supporters of 
Mr, Jay. The older inhabil.ants of Kingston are wont to repeat some 
very amusing anecdotes of the warmth of party spirit in those days, 
while the nuiintes of the worshipful Trustees of the old Kingston Cor- 
poration show that the inns of Bogardns and Elmendorf were rival 
shrine.s — the resorts of the Capulets and Montagues of Esopus. 



24 VAUGHAN'S 

letter of the lltli, dated at " Mrs. Fall's,'" in which he 
graphically describes the purgation of Daniel Taylor, 
the spy — a letter I reserve for another place. The af- 
ternoon session is confined to the business of examining 
the case of that troublesome old tory, Cadwallader Gol- 
den, who is finally allowed to go with iiis son ; Angus 
McDonald, a prisoner of war,' is sent to Hurley on parole, 
but Roelif Eltinge they commit to jail " until further 
orders." 

The news of the reconnoissance of Sir James Wal- 
lace towards Poughkeepsie reaches tlie Council hy 
express from the Governor, on Tuesday morning. The 
Governor comphiins of the want of fixed ammunition, 
which will proliably account for the little damage done 
to the British squadron, which succeeded these vessels. 
The Lady Washington galley, Captain Cook, moved up 
in advance of the enemy to an anchorage in the Eon- 
dout Creek. The Council send Capt. Salisbury's troop 
down to New Windsor, mainly to serve as expresses. 
The attendance of the members at these latter sessions 
is small, but Lieut. Governor Van Courtlandt is always 
in the chair. 

The Gates Papers, in the library of tbc New York 
Historical Society, supply the last letter Governor 
Clinton writes to the Council, before setting out for the 
defence of Esopus. 

HKAnQOARTERS, NEAIl NeW WiNDSOn, ) 

15th Oct., 1777, 9 o'clock, A. M. ) 
Dear Sir : 

I am this moment informed by a light horseman 
from my guard at New Windsor, that twenty sail of the 
enemy's shipping (two of them large vessels) are in the 
river below Butter Hill. There was a heavy fogg on 
the river in the morning when they were discovered, so 
that the officer of the guard could not be particular as 
tlie size of the vessels; he thinks it highly probable 
that more may be near at hand and might be seen were 
it not for the fogg. Had it not been for this movement 
of the enemy, 1 intended this day or to-morrow to have 
drawn my kw troops from this place towards the rear 
of fort Montgomery but I must now desist and watch 
their motions ; and should they land and marcii against 

' Mrs. Alexander Falls resided at the Square, about 4 miles west of 
the village of New Windsor. The house was occupied in 1850 hy 
Samuel Moore. Loasiug's Field Book ; Eager's Hist, of Orange Co , p 
640. 



SECOND EXPEDITION. 



25 



me with any considerable force, I shall be constrained 
with my present numbers to retreat before them, annoy- 
ing them only if favorable opportunities shall offer. I 
was in hopes ere now to have received the reinforce- 
ment from the northward which you mentioned ; not 
a man of which are yet arrived. I wish Col. Pawling 
with his regiment was with me. Since writing the 
above, the enemy's fleet consisting of 30 sail have 
passed Newburg with crowded sail and fair wind are 
moving quick up the river ; the front of them are al- 
ready at the Dans Caamer. There are eight large, square 
rigged vessels among them, and all appear to have 
troops on ijoard. My troops are parading to march for 
Kingston. Our route will be through Shawangunk to 
prevent delay in crossing the Paltz River. — I leave 
Collo. Woodhull's, McClaughry's and part of Haas- 
brouck's regiments as a guard along the river. — Ha- 
thorn's is gone to the southward to guard a quantity of 
arms towards head-quarters. When lie returns he is to 
join this guard. I have neither time to copy or read 
this scrall ; the substance must be communicated to 
Gen. Gates. Let the militia be drawn out ready to 
oppose the enemy. I will be with you if nothing extra 
happens, before day; though my troops cannot. 
1 am, yours &c., 

Geo. Clinton. 

Gov. Clinton's force of about a thousand men, com- 
posed of the skeleton regiments of Colonels Samuel J. 
Webb, DuBois, Sutherland and Ellison, with a part of 
Hasbrouck's' and what remained of Lamb's artillery, 
was instantly ordered to march through Shawangunk 
and down the west side of the Waalkill. They crossed 
the ferry where now stands the Rosendale bridge, mak- 
ing a hurried march and few halts ; in fact, it was too 
rapid to leave the troops in any condition to fight, 
should they reach the enemy's position. The route of 
the column was on the Greenkill road, but only a por- 
tion of tlie advanced guard arrived at the Kuykuyt, 
overlooking Kingston, to behold the village in flames 
and the enemy nearly retired to his shipping. Had the 
whole army heen at hand it could not, of course, have 
prevented the destruction of the villasre, or made any 
serious resistance to the royal troops. 



26 VAUGHAN'S 

The minutes of the Council sessions on the fifteentli 
consist of only a few lines — the time for personal effort 
on their part had come, and the Secretaries were en- 
gaged in something more stirring than clerkly labors, and 
only find leisure to note an order to impress 24 wagons 
to remove the military stores. Unfortunately all of 
these could not be procured and thus a considerable 
amount of public war-material was doomed to fall into 
the hands of the invaders. 

It may be interesting to record the names of the 
members of the Council who were present on this day. 
They were Col. Van Courtlandt, Messrs. Dunscomb, 
Floyd, Van Zandt, Parks, Webster, Scott, Rowan, Har- 
per, Pawling and Morris. 

The utmost alarm existed and men were sending 
their families and such of their property as they could 
move, to Hurley and Marbletown. News came that the 
enemy's fleet had reached Esopus Island, only a few 
miles below the town landing, and it was evident that 
the worst hour was at hand. But in the midst of all 
this distress, for the too well known conduct of the 
royal generals forbade aiiy hope of mercy from them, an 
express despatched in haste from Albany, brought the 
comforting assurance that the day was breaking in the 
north. It was conveyed in a letter from General 
Gates. ^ 

Sakatooa, Oct. 15tli, 1777. 

" Sir, 

Inclosed I have the Honor to send your Excel- 
lency a Copy of my Letter of this Day to Major Gen- 
eral Putnam, with a Copy of the Terms on which Lt. 
General Burgoyne has proposed to Surrender. 
I am Sir, 

Your Excellency's 
Most Afi'ectionate 

Humble Servant, 
Horatio Gates." 
His Excellency, Governor Clinton, Esq. 

The terms of capitulation have been often printed 
and therefore need not be repeated. 

This letter the Council lost no time in forwarding 
to New Windsor with this inclosure, also from the Clin- 
ton MSS. 

1 Clinton Papers in the N. Y. State Libravy. 



f 
I 



SECOND EXPEDITION. 27 

Kingston, Oct. 15th, 1777, 5 p. m. 
'' Sir : 

The enclosed is just come to haud by Express. 
We tho't it necessary to open it as it might contain 
matters which at this Critical Juncture we conceived 
we ought to know without Delay. 

We just this moment have received information 
from the Landing that about thirty sail of the Enemy's 
Vessels appeared opposite theEsopus Island and Stand- 
ing up the River. Some works have been thrown up 
below according to your Excellency's requisition. The 
alarm Gunus were just fired. We have not any particu- 
lars on this occasion more than already mentioned. 
We shall forward any further Information to you as 
it may from time to time occur without the loss of a 
moment. In the meantime give us leave, Sir, to assure 
you that we will contribute all in our power to enable 
the Militia Officers who command here to make the best 
possible Defence at this Post during your Excellency's 
absence. 

I have the Honor to be 

Your Excellency's 
Most Ob't Serv't, 

PiEERE Van Courtlandt, 

Pres'dt. 
His Excellency Governor Clinton." 

Upon the receipt of General Gates' letter the Coun- 
cil voted the bearer of " good tidings " fifty dollars. 
The Governor did not receive it until some time after 
date, and the current story is, that it had been commit- 
ted to a faithless messenger who stopped for the night 
at a farm house by the way side. He was found by 
another express leisurely setting out in the morning. 
He excused himself on the plea of his horse breaking 
down, which brought upon him all manner of re- 
proaclics from the good whig who had entertained him, 
and to whom no mention had been made of his order 
to make all possible effort to reach the reinforcements 
and urge them to press forward without a moment's 
delay.' 

1 1 take this occasion to return my thanks for this and other in- 
teresting particulars connected with tliis sketch, obtained from Miss 
Margaret Wynkoop, a daughter of Judge Dirck Wynkoop, Jr., who 
figured mucli in these " troublous times." This venerable lady, whose 
4 



28 VAUGHAN'S 

True to his word the stout-hearted Governor ar- 
rived at Kingston at about nine o'clock in the evening, 
and then sends off this dispatch ^ to Putnam on the 
other side of the river. 

" Kings Town, 15th October, 1777, ) 
10 o'clock Wednesday Evening, j 
Dear General : 

What follows is the copj' of a letter from the Chair- 
man of the Committee of the city of Albany to the 
President of the Council of Safety. I congratulate you 
on the important intelligence contained in it. 

To Gen. Putnam. 

Albany, 15tli October, 1777. 
'' Last night at 8 o'clock the capitulation whereby 
General Burgoyne and whole army surrendered them- 
selves prisoners of War was signed, and this morning 
they are to march out towards the River above Fish 
Creek with the Honors of War, and there ground their 
Arms. They are from thence to be marched to Massa- 
chusetts Bay. We congratulate you on this happy 
event and remain." Yours, &c., 

Geo. Clinton." 

With untiring energy and unabated zeal the Gov- 
ernor starts for Marbletown in the morning, Avhere, 
finding that his fagged army cannot reach Kingston in 
time to be of any service, he directs the main bod}' to 
proceed no farther. Issuing an order for the execution 
of Taylor, the spy, who had been carried along with 
the troops, he is back again at Kingston before noon, 
and at one o'clock writes to the Commandant at Alba- 
ny:^ 

" Sir : 

Read, seal and send forward Ihe enclosed Letter. 
Use your discretion as to the contents. Take the most 
prudent measures with your Sick, Wounded and Pri- 

elegaut manners and refined tone lend such a chavm to her society, still 
survives, at the age of 82, residing in the very house in Green .street, 
where her father entertained General Washington on his visit to Kings- 
ton . 

'Penn. Archives, V, p. C7C. -Clinton Papers. 



SECOND EXPEDITION. 29 

soners. It is possible the Enemy may push on to Al- 
bany. 

I am, Sir, your humble Servant." 
Geo. Clinton. 

The following is the enclosure to Gen. Gates : 

KisGSTON, 16th Oct., 1777, 1 o'clock. 
Sir: 

I am to inform you that the Enemy's Fleet, Con- 
sisting of upwards of thirty sail anchored last night 
about six miles below the Landing Place of this Town 
which they now lie directly opposite to, and appear to 
be making preparations for Landing. I have so few- 
men with me that I can not say I have the best Prospect 
of making so good a Defence as might be wished. A 
Reinforcement is on the way to me which I left last 
night, and which I believe will not come up in season, 
and at any rate must be exceedingly fatigued. I am 
just informed that the Enemy are coming to the Land. 
I think it necessarj' lo give you this information, that 
30U may take such steps as may to you appear necessary 
to render their acquisition of this Town of as little im- 
portance as possible. I have the Honor to be 

Your most obedient 
& 
humble servant. 

Geo. Clinton. 

P. S. I most sincerely Congratulate you on your 
success Northward. 

Let us now turn to the events of the memorable 
sixteenth of October. 

The enemy who had remained at anchor near 
Esopus island the previous night, weighed on the morn- 
ing of the 16th, and about nine o'clock drew up opposite 
tlie mouth of the Rondout creek, and the Point, and in 
a little while opened a vigorous cannonade upon the 
Lady Washington galley, lying in iVont of the present 
residence of ilr. George North, and the two batteries 
upon the high ground above Ponckhockie, afterwards 
called Bieast-works hill. Five light pieces of cannon 
were in position in these hastily thrown up earthworks, 
and with a 32-pounder on the galley replied to the fire 
of the British ships, but without doing much damage. 
About one o'clock in the afternoon the troops in the 



30 VAUGHAN'S 

batteaux and boats of the naval vessels, were arranged 
in two divisions and prepared to land ; one division 
consisting of about three or four liundi-ed men proceeded 
to Ponckliockie, near Radle3''s Ferry landing, and then 
rapidly disembarked, and dispersed the men at the 
battei'ies with the bayonet, the defenders of these works 
remaining until the last moment, when they spiked their 
guns and with a few wounded men withdrew in haste up 
the creek. Only three houses stood where is now the 
teeming throng of the busy village of Rondout — these 
the invaders burnt, an occasional shot from tlie retreat- 
ing militia, showing that it was only a lack of force 
that prevented a vigorous resistance. 

The boats immediately boarded and set fire to the 
prison vessels and some sloops lying in the creek, which 
task was somewhat impeded by the blowing up of a 
quantity of powder in one of tlie store vessels. Lieut. 
Clarke of the Dependence, and some of his crew were 
injured l)y this explosion. The Lady Washington galley 
was run np the creek and scuttled just below Eddy- 
ville, and at South Rondout a party of the enemy's 
seamen in pursuit of this vessel landed and destroyed 
a house belonging to William Houghtaling, the only 
damage done on the south side of the creek. 

But it is time to look after the main body of the 
enemy's troops, under Gen. Vaughan in person. This 
division landed in a cove north of Columbus point and 
near the brick-kiln, and took the direction of Kingston, 
and on the top of the hill, not far from the late resid- 
ence of H. H. Reynolds Esq., formed a junction with 
the other party which had reached that spot by the 
the " Strand road." 

Here the column halted and Jacobus Lefferts,' a New 
York tory temporarily residing in Kingston, approached 
Gen. Vaughan and communicated to him the news of 
the capitulation of Gen. Bnrgoyne at Saratoga. This 
fact Gordon states on the anthoiity of Mr. James Beek- 
man,- and Major Van Gaasbeck, of Kingston, assures me 
that he has heard that Lefi'erts was the intbrmant, from 
the lips of citizens who were in the village on that 
fatal day. It has been said that no information of this 
sort could have been received in Kingston at the time 

^ Jacobus Lefferts, Note VII. 
2 History, II, p. 579, note. 



SECOND EXPEDITION. 31 

of the landing of the Bi'itish, but this is an error. Gen. 
Burgoyne asked for a parlej' on tlio I3th of October, 
and one was actually held on the following day, in which 
the British commander offered to capitulate. Gen. 
Gates' letter to Gov. Clinton (see p. 26, ante), announc- 
ing this, was opened by the Council of Safety, sitting 
in tlie village, at 5 p. m., on the fifteenth. A letter 
from Jno. Barcla}', chairman of the Albany county 
committee, with the same intelligence, was read at this 
meeting,' and although the announcement was some- 
what premature, it was believed by all parties, and the 
clause omitted from Sir James Wallace's dispatch, 
published in the London Gazette of Dec. 2d, is corrobo- 
rative of this view of the case." 

No information of the inutilit}' of further attempts 
to create a diversion in I'avor of Burgojiie, could influ- 
ence the leaders of this marauding expedition ; they 
were bent on plunder and destruction, and the order to 
advance was speedily given. Lossing says that some- 
where about this place they seized a negro and com- 
pelled him to pilot them to the town. 

Tlio only resistance they met with after leaving the 
vicinity of the water side was from a scattering fire kept 
up by a few men in and about the woods near the house of 
John O'Reilly. These men were quickly dispei'sed by 
the enemy's light companies, deplo3'ed as skirmishers, 
and by the parties on the flanks of tlie column, and al- 
though Vaughan's official report, and the servile Gazette 
of Rivington, speak of "firing from the houses," &c., it 
is the unanimous voice of tradition that no resistance 
whatever was made after the troops reached the vicini- 
ty of the village. 

The militia, consisting of about loO men, under 
the command of Colonels Levi Pawling and Johannes 
Snyder, could do nothing against such overwhelming 
odds, indeed, the largest portion was in the woi'ks at 
"the Strand," and so retreated up the Rondout creek — 
the inhabitants themselves were employed to the last 
in removing such of their effects as were portable, 
and abandoned their houses as the British troops 
entered the streets. It is to be remembered that 
many of those liable to do military duty were absent 

1 Jour. Pi-ov. Conv., I, 1070, and the letter is at p. 28. 
^ See p. 34, post. 



32 VAUCiHAN'S 

under arms with Gov. Clinton and in the northern 
army. 

No time was to be lost by the invaders, for Gover- 
nor Clinton's army could not be far off, and dividing 
into small parties they began to set fire to the houses in 
the village, showing particular spite in visiting the 
residences of leading whigs. So rapid had been the 
advance of the royal forces, that the records of the 
Dutch Church — and the missing cover of one of these 
venerable volumes is attributed to this haste — and some 
of the public papers in Mr. Bancker's charge at Judge 
Wynkoop's house, on the corner of Pearl and Fair 
streets (now of Mrs. S. Bruyn), were only removed a 
few moments before a party of red-coats began to plun- 
der the buildings. 

It did not take long to complete their work, and 
with the exception of the house and barn on the west 
side of Wall street, near the residence of Marius 
Schoonmaker, Esq., and then belonging to Tobias Van 
Steenburgh, every building in the village was des- 
troyed. This long, one story stone dwelling is still 
standing, in good preservation, and belongs to Abram T. 
Van Steenburgh, a descendant of the revolutionai-y 
owner. Various reasons are given for their omission 
to set fire to these buildings. One New York newspa- 
per says it was occupied by a Mrs. Plamraersley — atory 
lady in some way connected with the British officers. 
It is certain that a New York lady of this name was in 
Kingston about this time, and not unlikely occupied 
this house, but I have not been able to obtain any par- 
ticulars in regard to her. 

Some confusion in the newspaper accounts of that 
day has arisen, it being stated in Rivington's paper 
that the only house spared belonged to a Mr. Letferts. 
Now, the house occupied by Mr. Leflerts was indeed 
saved from the flames, but it was some distance from 
the village proper, as stated in the appendix,^ and could 
hardly be considered as belonging to it. Tlie royal Ga- 
zette would no doubt soon learn that the house of so well 
known a sympathizer with the crown as Alderman Lef-. 
ferts had not been burned. 

I have heard that a party of soldiers proceeded to- 
wards this house in spite of the remonstrances of Mrs. 
Lefferts, whose bright red dress has been described by 



SECOND EXPEDITION. 33 

more tlian one informant, and were about to plunder it, 
when the sound of the recall hastened them back to the 
ranks. The north part of the house bears indisputa- 
ble marks of being older than 1777. 

The invaders destro3'ed a considerable quantity of 
arms and munitions of war, with flour and provisions 
stored here for the army, to say nothing of the projjerty 
of the inhabitants, but I prefer to collect in one place 
the estimates of the enemy as to the amount of destruc- 
tion they had been able to effect. 

The stragglers of the royal army were gathered in 
as fast as possible, and with a quick step, in spite of all 
the booty they could carry away, not forgetting sundry 
negroes — for the British Anti-Slavery party had not 
yet been heard of — they set out for the river, and after 
an absence of about three hours reimbarked, having 
burned a defenceless village and made three or four 
thousand people houseless, and unable to recognize their 
homes in the ashes now heaped upon the spot where 
lately stood a flourishing town. 

The following are the official accounts of the ser- 
vices performed by the British officers at Kingston : 

On Board the Friendship, Off Esopds, ) 

Friday, October 17, 10 o'Clock, Morning.^ J 
Sir: 

1 have the Honor to inform you that on the Even- 
ing of the 15th Instant I arrived ofl" Esopus; finding 
that the Rebels had thrown np Works and had made 
every Disposition to annoy us, and cut off our Commu- 
nication, I judged it necessary to attack them, the Wind 
being at that Time so much against us that we could 
make no Way. I accordingly landed the Troops, at- 
tacked their Batteries, drove them from their Works, 
spiked an(i destroyed their Guns. Esopus being a 
Nursery for almost every Villain in the Country, I 
judged it necessnry to proceed to that Town. On our 
Approach they were drawn np with Cannon which we 
took and drove them out of the Place. On our entering 
the Town they tired from their flouses, which induced 
me to reduce the Place to Ashes, which I accordingly 
did, not leaving a House. We found a considerable 
Quantity of Stores of all kinds, which shared the same 
Pate. 

' London Gazette, Dec. 2d, 1777. 



34 VAUGHAN°S 

Sir James Wallace has destroyed all the Shipping 
except an armed Galley, which run up the Creek with 
every Thing belonging to the Vessels in Store. 

Our Loss is so inconsiderable that it is not at pre- 
sent worth while to mention. 

I am, &c., 

John Vaughan. 

Galleys and Armed Vessels off Esopus Creek, ) 
Oct. 17, 1777.1 j 

Sir : We proceeded up the river. Destroying a num- 
ber of vessels as we sailed along without stopping till 
we arrived at Esopus creek, where we found 2 batteries ; 
one of 2 guns, the other of 3 guns erected, and an 
armed Galley at the mouth of the Creek, who en- 
deavored to prevent our passing by their Cannonade. 
Gen. Vaughan was of opinion that such a force should 
not be left behind. It was determined to land and 
destroy them, and immediately Executed, without re- 
tarding our proceeding up the River. The General 
marched for the town and fired it. The Boats from 
the armed vessels went up the Creek, Burnt 2 brigs, 
several armed sloops and other craft, with all their 
apparatus, that was in Stores upon the .shore. Lieut. 
Clark of the " Dependence," with two or three others, 
in firing the stores was blown up, but we flatter our- 
selves not dangerously. 

The officers and men upon this occasion behaved 
[with] Hie greatest spirit. 

By all our information I am afraid that General 
Burgoyne is retreated if not worse. 

I have, &c. 

Jas. Wallace. 

Commodore Hotham. 

Sir William Howe in his report to Lord George 
Germaine, dated Philadelphia, Oct. 25th, 1777, adds 
this Postcript : 

" I have the satisfaction to enclose to your Lord- 
ship a report just rec'd of a very spirited piece of 
service performed by Major Genl. Vaughan, and Sir 
James Wallace, up the Hudson's River." 

1 Copy from the original in the Admiralty, London; this dispatch 
appeared in the London Gasielte of Dec. 2d, 1777, with the omission of 
the last significant paragraph, which does not seem to Inive ever before 
teen hrought to pnljlic notice. 



SECOND EXPEDITION. 35 

It has not been easy to procure the contemporary 
newspaper accounts of this expedition, at this late date, 
but such as have come to my notice are given, commenc- 
ing with the royalist side. 

Rivington's New York Gazette, October 27th, 1777. 

Extract of a letter from Esopus, October 16th. 

" On Monday evening we sailed from fort Montgome- 
ry, having first entiiely demolished it, and blown up 
the magazine. We got up that night near Pollopel's 
Island, where we came to an anchor below the Che- 
veauxdeFrize. Next morning, wind S. W., we weighed, 
got through the Cheveaux de Frize, and proceeded up 
the river. The towns of New Windsor and Newburgh 
appeared totally deserted by the inhabitants ; four 
sloops set sail from Fishkill, but were soon overhauled 
by the gun boats, when opposite to Poughkeepsie ; the 
rebels kept up a continual fire from the shore, without 
doing any damage, which was answered b)- the ship- 
ping. We anchored that night five miles from Esopus, 
and yesterday morning about nine o'clock a severe can- 
nonade began between the shipping in front, and a row 
galley and two batteries the rebels had erected on shore. 
In the afternoon the troops landed at Esopus, attacked 
and took possession of the batteries, and. on marching 
up to the town, the rebels concealed in the houses^ 
firing upon the troops from the windows, occasioned 
every house, except that of Alderman Leflerts of New 
York, to be set on fire and consumed ; this was effected 
with the loss of only two men woundeil. Many were 
burnt in the river and Esopus creek, besides some 
stores, a mill, &c." 

Mm York Gazette, November 3d. 

October 15 — " Three sloops taken, in attempting 
to escape to the Fishkill, and two pettiaugers, de- 
stroyed." 

" The house, mill and outhouses, and a sloop 
belonging to Col. Francis Stoutenburgh, at Crum Elbow, 
burned. Two sloops on the east side, burnt that eve- 
ning." 

October 16.— Set fire to two brigs, &c., and burnt 
Kingston. 

October 17.—" The house, store-house, barn, &c., 
of Mr. Pctrus Ten Broeck, a rebel General, the house, 

5 ' 



36 VAUGHAN'S 

barn, and out-houses of Robert Gilbert Livingston, and 
a bouse and mill belonging to Judge Livingston, on the 
east side of the river burned." 

October, 18. — " Anotbei- house belonging to Judge 
Livingston, one to Mr. John Livingston, with three oth- 
ers, destroyed in like manner." 

October 22. — '' Two houses, one the property of 
Judge Smith, on the east side, a sloop and barn, like- 
wise two houses, with their appendages on the west side, 
were burnt, and on the 23d a sloop was burned on the 
stocks. 

In the town of Kingston, a large quantity of 
powder, and a large number of fire-arms, together with 
many valuable stores, were destroyed." * * * 

" Another more accurate Account from Esopus, 
informs us that on the landing of Gen. Vaughan with 
the Troops under his Command, the Rebels, with- 
out the least prospect of advantage to themselves, 
tired upon them from a Breastwork jnst thrown up, 
and wiiich ibey did not stay to defend. This, joined 
to an insolent and provoking Behaviour occasioned ihe 
Army to march up and set fire to the Town, which 
was presently entirely consumed. There were de- 
stroyed Three Hundred and tw"enty-six houses, with 
a Barn to almost every one of them, filled with Flour, 
besides Grain of all kinds, much valuable Furniture 
and elfects, which the Royal Army disdained to take 
with them. Twelve Thousand barrels of Flour were 
burnt, and they took at the town foui' pieces of Can- 
non, with ten more upon the River, with 1150 stand 
of Arms, with a large quantity of Powder were blown 
up. The whole Service was effected and the Troops 
re-embarked in three hours." 

Independent Chronicle (Boston), October 30th. 

Extract of a letter from Fishkill, dated October 
19th : 

" The enemy are upon the river, between this place 
and AlLiany. The}' have burnt Kingston (Esopus), not 
a house left standing in llie town. It was a pretty coni- 
pact place with several sireets, 2 roiles from the river, 
60 miles from All'any, and the third town for size in this 
State. They also burnt several mills, stores, dwelling 
houses and vessels, as they advanced up the river. 
However, they have something now in the way to stop 



SECOND EXPEDITION 37 

their career: General Putnam is up with them on one 
side of the river, and our Governor on the other side ; 
each of them have force sufficient to repel them, should 
they land." 

Ibid., November 6th. 

FisHKiLL, October 24. 

"Last Monday, our people took a small schooner be- 
longing to the enemy, in the North River, near Rhyne- 
beck, with a pretty valuahle cargo ; she ran aground, 
and our people took tlie advantage and hoarded her 
with canoes, Nicholas James and Geoi'ge Hopkins, two 
of the New York pilots, were taken on board. 

Last Thursday, one Taylor, a spy, was hanged at 
Hurley, who was detected with a letter to Burgoyne, 
which he swallowed in a silver ball, but by the assist- 
ance of a tartar emetic he discharged the same." 

FisHKiLL, October 30. 

" Last Thursday, the fleet returned from their in- 
glorious expedition up the North River, having burnt 
Kingston, in Esopus, and a few houses at Rhynebeck 
and Livingston's Manor, as was mentioned in our last ; 
our army, commanded by Gen. Putnam, coming up with 
them, caused them to skulk on board tiieir vessels, and 
prevented their doing fnrthei- mischief; the wind being 
light in their return, which gave an opportunity to our 
arm3\ of marching as fast as they sailed, and was an 
happy circumstance in our favor, and prevented them 
from destroying Poughkeepsie and other buildings on 
the river side." 

New York Packet, October 23d. 

October 14. — " Yesterday, General Vaughan, having 
undei- his command a laige body of Britisli, who have 
committed various acts of vandalism, in their passage 
up the North River, landed a number of men at Esopus, 
marched up to the defenceless town of Kingston, about 
two miles from the river, and immediately set it on iire. 
The conflagration was general in a few minutes, and in 
a very short time that pleasant and wealthy town was 
reduced to ashes ; one house only escaped the flames. 
Thus by the wantonness of pow-er the third town in 
New York for size, elegance and wealth, is reduced to a 



38 VAUGHAN'S 

heap of rubbish, aud the once happy inhabitants (who 
are chiefly of Dutch descent) obliged to soHcit for 
shelter among strangers; and those who lately pos- 
sessed elegant and convenient dwellings, obliged to take 
up with such huts as they can find to defend them from 
the cold blasts of approaching winter. We learn that 
the inhabitants saved the best part of their movable 
property; but some lost the great part of their temp- 
oral all. 'Tis said the enemy took little plunder, 
being told that Governor Clinton was at hand with 
fifteen hundred men, but unluckily not so near as to 
save the town. They burnt several houses at Rhyue- 
ieck Flats, and proceeded as far as Livingston Manor, 
vvhere they burnt a few more. Our troops are now up 
with them. It is hoped that they will be able to put a 
stop to these depredations. Britain, how art thou fall- 
en ! Ages to come will not be able to wipe away the 
guilt, the horrid guilt, of these and such like deeds, 
lately perpetrated by thee." 

The Americans did not think it expedient to make 
any ofEcial statement of the amount of their losses in 
stores and munitions of war, and while the account of 
the enemy's success in their destruction is probably 
exaggerated, there is no room to doubt that the State 
suffered heavily on this occasion. 

The county records escaped the fire, but some por- 
tions now missing may not have b.een bi-ought back to 
Kingston after the Rochester journey. The " ujinutes" of 
the Kingston Trustees for the year 1777 were destroyed 
with the papers of Christopher Tappen, their clerk, as 
appears from an entry in their books in his own hand- 
writing. 

The injury done to the inhabitants was more than 
most of them could well hear ; many persons in comfort- 
able and even afiluent cii'cumstances were reduced to 
almost absolute want, and all wore forced to seek shel- 
ter at some distance from their late pleasant homes. 

The conduct of the cruel foe met with an indig- 
nant cry from all parts of the continent, aud it steeled 
the hearts and nerved the arms of our countrymen to 
pursue with unabating energy the course of resistance 
to British Tyr;inny. 

When the news of the destruction of Kingston 
reached Gen. Gates, now the victor of Saratoga, iie 



SECOND EXPEDITION. 39 

addressed the following spirited letter ' to Gen. 
Vaughan, which was forwarded in the boat carrying 
Lord Petersham with Burgoyne's Dispatches to Sir 
Henry Clinton. 

"Albany, 19th October, 1777. 
Sir, 

With unexampled cruelty you have reduced the fine 
village of Kingston to Ashes, and most of the wretched 
Inhabitants to ruin. I am also informed you continue 
to ravage, and burn all before you on both sides of the 
River. Is it thus your King'.s General thinks to make 
Converts to the Royal Cause ? 

It is no less surprising than true, that the measures 
they adopt to serve their master have quite the contra- 
ry efiect. 

Their Cruelty establishes the glorious act of Inde- 
pendency upon the broad basis of the general resent- 
ment of the people. 

Other Generals and much older officers than you can 
pretend to be aie now by the fortune of War in m}' 
hands ; their fortune may one day be yonrs, when, Sir, 
it may not be in the power of anything human to save 
you from the just vengeance of an injured people. 
I am, Sir, 

Y'' most obed' hum. Serv' 
Horatio Gates." 
The Honorable John Vanghan, Maj'' General. 

Sympath}' for the misfortunes of the people of 
Kingston came in resolves and donations from various 
parts of the country, but one of the most substantial 
testimonies of good feeling appears in a letter to Gov- 
ernor Clinton written on behalf of citizens of South 
Carolina. 

" Chakles Town, 31st March, 1778. 
Sir: 

I do myself the Pleasure to send you herewith the 
sum of je3711.10, equal to ^6927.17.6 New York curren- 
cy. This money has been received for the charitable 
purpose of alleviating the distresses of the now indi- 
gent inhabitants of the Town of Kingston, who by the 
ravages of the Enemy are reduced to poverty and want. 
A much larger sum would have been collected had not 

' In Geu. Gates' Letter to Congress, Oct. 20, 1777, published by 
order of Congress. 



40 VAUGHAN'S 

a melancholy accident by fire called the immediate^ 
attention of many liberal souls to dissipate the wants of 
many of the Inhabitants of the capital of this State, 
who are reduced to beggary by the late Dreadful Con- 
flagration. 

From a Personal acquaintance with your Excellen- 
cy, I persuade :iiyself yoit will readily excuse the 
trouble I give in requesting you)- attention to a proper 
distribution of this donation. I have the pleasure to be 
with sentiments of esteem and respect, 

Your most Obedient Hum'l Serv't, 
Abm. Livingston." 
His Excellency George Clinton. 

Among the papers of the Trustees of Kingston, 
now in the Ulster County Clerk's ofSce, is the following 
letter from Robt. R. Livingston. It is dated March 1st, 
1778. 

" Gent.— 

The inconvenience I daily Experience from the 
destruction of my house and the ravages of the Enemy 
serve only to increase my sympathy wilh the Inhabit- 
ants of Kingston and animate my desire in proportion 
as they lessen my power to contribute to their relief as 
liberally as I wish. My inattention to my private 
aifairs for three years past and the disafl'ection of my 
Tenants who have during this controversary very gen- 
erally withheld tlieir Rents, put it out of my power to 
contribute what might perhaps be of more immediate 
use to my distressed friends at Kingston. Yet I flatter 
myself that my present proposal may meet with their 
approbation and be attended with permanent advan- 
tage and in this view I am induced to make it. I mean 
a grant of oUOO acres of Land in any part of Ilarden- 
Inii-gh's Pattent that falls to my share — which I promise 
to make to the Trustees for the use of the inhabitants 
thereof under the following restrictions. 1st, to be 
taken in a regular square. 2d, not to be located at 
Woodstock or Shandakan, nor at any other place nn 
which a settlement has been made — and that the Loca- 
tion be made within three months from the date hereof 
and a sui'vey thereof returned in order to perfect the 
grant. This Land the Trustees will disjiose of in such 



SliCOND EXPEDITION. 41 

way as will be most advantageous to the suffering In- 
habitants of Kingston. 

As I have been informed that many of them have 
been disappointed in not being able to pi'ocure Boards, 
I have prevailed upon my Mother to suffer Mr. Saxe to 
dispose of all but her third which she reserves for her 
own use. I shall be happy if this or anything else in 
my power can in the least contribute to the ease or con- 
venience of those whoi^e attention to me early in life 
entitles them to my Friendship and who are more 
endear'd by the generous cause in which they suffer. 
I am Gentl" 

With great regard 

Your most Obed' Hum. Serv' 
RoBT. R. Livingston." 



This offer was accepted by the Trustees and the 
land located mostly in Great Lot No. 40 of the Harden- 
bergh Pattnt, now in Middletown, Delaware Gount}^ A 
survey of it was made by Wm. Cockburn in 1784, and 
the settlement on this tract is still known as New Kings- 
ton. It was equally divided b}- the Trustees among 100 
families of the sufferers by the burning of the village. 

Gov. Clinton concentrated his little force at Hur- 
ley, and did not follow the enemy lest he might be shut 
in betw^een the Catskill Mountains and the river should 
the British land in force. His first letter to General 
Gates and another to General Putnam have been pie- 
served. 

" Marble Town, 17th Oof 1777.1 
Dr. General : 

Yesterday afternoon about four o'clock, the Ene- 
my took Possession of and burnt the Town of Kings- 
ton. For want of a proper number of troops no 
effectual Resistance could be made. I have now the 
Body of men under my Command which marched from 
New Windsor to my assistance and shall immediately 
proceed to the Ruins of Kingston which the Enemy 
have abandoned. 1 have sent off a Party of Light 
Horse to i-econnoitre and shall act in such manner as 
the motions of the Enemy may direct. I heard that 
General Burgoyne had surrendered and am very sorry 

' Gates Papers. 



42 VAUGHAN'S 

to find by your Letter that Nothing has been done but 
to interchange of Proposals but I hope that matter is 
by this time concluded. 

I have the Honor to be 
Sir 
Your most obdt 
■& 

Humble Servt. 

Geo. Clinton. 

P. S. A prisoner who is by no means intelligent 
says that the enemy are two thousand strong com- 
manded by Gen. Vaughan." 

Gov- Clinton to Gen. Putnam. 

" Hurley, Oct. 18th, 1777.1 
Dear Sir, 

I am this moment favored with yours of this morn- 
ing. There is nothing new happened in this Quarter 
since 1 wrote you yesterdaj'. The Enemy is 8 or 10 
Miles above this burning away, but as there are no 
Capital Settlements there on this side the Eiver and the 
situation of the Country such as with my present Force 
I can't advance opposite to them with safety to my Ar- 
tillery. 1 mean at present to continue where I now am 
in Front of the most Valuable settlements and where 
the Stores and Eflects from Kingston are removed. I 
imagine the Enemy will not proceed much higher up 
the Piver and that on their return they will attempt to 
lay waste the places they have passed going up, after 
our Troops are drawn from them. This induces me to 
think some more Troops ought to be left, at Poughkeep- 
sie and Fislikill, but of this you can best judge. Adieu. 
You shall hear of me frequently. 

Your most obe'" Serv', 

Geo, Clinton." 

Gen. Putnam's letter to Gov. Clinton announces 
that he is again preparing to be of some service, which 
prepaiations do not seem to have resulted in any dam- 
age to the enemy, so far as it related to his operations 
on the east bank. Gov. Clinton was a more dangerous 
foe. 

' Clinton Pajier.s. 



SECOND EXPEDITION. 43 

" Lerots, Statsford, IS'" Oct. 1777.^ ) 
5 O'clock Saturday Morning. ) 
Dear Sir, 

Yours of the 17th I received last night, and am 
sorry to hear of the Enemys Destroying the several 
Houses, &c. Last night I arrived here and all the 
Troops, Excepting General Sullivans Brigade, which I 
Expect will join me this morning. Colonel Samuel 
Willis with his Regiment are about six miles a Head. 
I am just seting off and this morning Expect to reach 
the Shipping. Last Night I received a Letter from 
Colonel Willis by whom I am informed that from every 
appearance the Enemj' mean to Burn the Powder Mills, 
&c. He further adds from the best Intelligence he's 
able to .Procure from the Inhabitants they mean if possi- 
ble to penetrate to Salisbury. If that scheam should 
take place, I flatter myself we shall be able to give a 
good ace', of 'em. I apprehend we shall find it very 
difficult to convey the necessary Intelligence to each 
other, but at every opportunity shall be glad to know 
your situation In order that we may act in junction. 
Am in haste. 

D-- Sir 

Your veiy humb'" Serv', 

Israel Putnam." 



We can not have a better view of the situation of 
matters in the vicinity of Kingston, than will be found 
in Governor Clinton's letter to Gen. Gates. 



" Hdely 2 Miles, and a half from Kingston, Oct. 21, 1777.^ 

Dear Sir, 

I have repeatedly done myself the honor, to inform 
you of my situation, and think it my Duty again to do 
so, that if any of those consequences should happen, 
which may now be easily foreseen, the blame, if any, 
may not lie at my Door. 

Wher, I undertook at the request of Genl. Put- 
nam, to put myself at the head of a body of men 
to protect the Western Shores of Hudson's River, and 

' Clinton Papers. '^ GiVtes Papers. 

6 



44 VAUGHAN^S 

to throw myself between the Enemy and your army, 
should they proceed up the River, I represented to him 
in strong terms the situation of this part of the Country 
thinly inhabited, and the interior part unsettled, and 
separated from all assistance by a chain of mountains. 
In consequence of which representation, he agreed to 
let me have three thousand toen, if the Eastern Militia 
should come in, as lie expected they would, of which 
number however he hath not sent four hundred. I then 
clearly saw that it would be impossible for me, to pro- 
tect the country, unless I could be reinforced from the 
Northern Army, which from your letter I had reason to 
expect ; I wrote also to Genl. Dickenson of New Jersey 
upon the same subject, and I am inform'd, that he, not- 
withstanding the exposed situation of his own State, has 
ordered six hundred men to my brother's assistance at 
New Windsor. Kingston hath been destroy'd, merely 
because I have been so deceiv'd in my expectations of 
assistance, that it was impossible to take measures for 
its Security. 

I am now Sir, at the head of little more than one 
thousand men, to cover the most valuable part of the 
Count}' of Ulstei-. 

The Enemy have lain still yesterday, and the day 
before, with a strong southerly wind, from whence it is 
evident, that a knowledge of Burgoyne's Eate hath 
cliang'd their intentions against Alliany. If tliey land 
iu Force I must either retreat, or sacrifice my few men 
and lose seven very valuable pieces of field ui'tiilery. 
If I retreat this whole County will be ravag'd and de- 
stroy'd, and that [ai\ a Season of the year, when the In- 
habitants (who are warmly attached to the American 
Cause) will want time to provide cover lor their Fa- 
milies against the inclemencies of the ensuing Winter. 

While we act merely on the defensive, two thou- 
sand men on the River will find full employment for 
twelve or fifteen. But if four thousand are left to cover 
Albany, two thousand here, and two thousand on the 
other side of the river, it will be by no means imprac- 
ticable, to recover the Passes in the Highlands, in which 
case the greater part of the army, now along the B:niks 
of the River may be brought to act offensively against 
the Enemy, and perhaps render the present Campaign 
decicive in our favor. 

Col. Malcolm who is tiie Bearer ol this letter, will 



SECOND EXPEDITION. 45 

do himself the honor of stating and exphiiuing to you 
my Ideas upou this subject; and you will do me a par- 
ticular favor, it in answer to this, you will inform me 
what I am to expect, and what is expected from me. 
I am D' Geul witli particular Esteem, 

Your most obt Servant, 
Geo. Clinton." 
To the Honule. Major Genl. Gates/ 
Albany. \ 

The British Squadron remained at anchor the night 
of the sixteenth, and on Friday morning a strong party 
landed and burnt some houses at the village of Rhine- 
beck, and plundered the inhabitants in the vicinity. A 
vessel dispatched down the river to convey the reports 
of Gen. Vaughan and Sir James Wallace, grounded near 
Poughkeepsie and fell into the hands of the Americans, 
as narrated in a letter from Gen. Putnam to Gen. Gates. 

" Head Quakteks Red Hook 20ih October, 1777.1 

D'' General, 

Your favor of the 19th I have just reueiv'^ and I 
beg leave to congratulate you upon tiie great success 
you have met with in your Department. Yesterday a 
Pilot Boat was detached from the Enemy's Fleet (w'^'' 
Lays Opposite this) with Despatches to N. York, but 
the Boat happening to get on ground near to Pough- 
keepsie, gave our Troops (which are there stationed) an 
opportunity of Boarding her. The Inclos'd you have 
Copy's of the Letters which was On Board. You'll ob- 
serve from "Vaughans Letter to General Clinton that 
they with their small Craft Intend Proceeding up the 
River. 

On the ]8th inst. I arrived here, and yesterday I 
arranged and posted my Troops in such a manner as I 
think will effectually prevent them from Landing ; be- 
fore I arriv'd, they burnt Esopus & a number of Build- 
ings along the Shore. 

If your situation would admit I shoidd be exceed- 
ing glad you would Immediately send me some heavy 
Cannon (upon Traveling Carriages) with ammunition 
&c compleat — in their present situation they might be 
annoy'd greatly, and not only so but We could distress 

' Gates Paper.?. 



46 VAUGHAN'S 

them very much should they attempt Passing up the 
River — if you have no particular object in view, should 
be glad you would send down all the Continental Troops 
you can conveniently spare, as the Militia I have now 
with me are very troublesome and anxious to get Home. 
I need not mention to you tlie Reasons they assign, as 
you well know the disposition of that People. 

From the Inclosed Letters it appears thej' meant to 
reinforce Burgoyne, but thank God you have prevented 
that. When they learn the news about Burgoyne, their 
scheam of making a junction is no more, but you may 
depend that they will Indeavour to Proceed up the 
River and destroy all the Buildings, &c. they Possible 
can, but I hope your timely assistance will prevent 'em ; 
from the best Intelligence I have been able to get of 
late they Enemy's as not more than three thousand on 
Board. 

Am in haste, 

D"' General 

Your very humble Servt. 
Israel Putnam." 
To Major Gen. Gates, Albany. 

Copies of the intercepted dispatches are among the 
Gates Papers, and the autograph of Sir James Wallace, 
in Lossing's Field Bonk, bears a striking resemblance to 
the signature at the bottom of this letter. Can it be a 
mistake 1 

" Livinsston's Mills, N. River, ) 

October 18th, 1778. < 
Sir, 

Inclos'd is the best intelligence we can get of Mr. 
Burgoyne. 

We are not certain what is become of the arm'd 
Rebel Galley, as Esopus Creek is 3 Mile Navigable, and 
Night coming on before we could explore the whole of 
it. therefore would it not be proper for some Frigate 
or arm'd vessel to be thereabouts, to secure y° Naviga- 
tion of y" Rivei- — We cannot properl}' spare any from 
the army — Ammunition is wanted among y'' arm'd ves- 
sels. 

I have y" Honor to be. Sir, 

Your most Humble Servant 
Jas. Wallace. 



SECOND EXPEDITION. 47 

P. S. Every opportunity will be taken to send to 
Mr. Burgoyne. 

Coinraodore Hotham. 

(A true copy). 

Tlie Intelligence alluded to in the foregoing part of 
this letter, being inserted in that from General Vaughan 
to General Clinton, it was tho't iinriecessary to trans- 
cribe it again." 

Endorsed in Gen Gates'' handwriting : 

" Intercepted letter from Capt. Wallace to Commo" 
Hotham, dated iSth October, 1777." 



" Information of Gilead Bettus iSth Oct 1777, 

>s'ho says that he was taken Prisoner by the Rebels on 
Monday the 6th iiist. That the following day there was 
a battle between the King's Troops and the Rebels, with 
the loss our side of 7 or 8 Pieces of Cannon, about 150, 
amongst whom General Fraser killed, and 150 mostly 
Hessians taken Prisoners, that General Burgoyne re- 
treated the same Night leaving behind 300 Sick and 
300 Barrels of Provisions and that a brigade of rebels 
marched the next day, the 8th to intercept the retreat 
of Genera] Burgoyne. 

That on Saturday last there was another Engage- 
ment, ill wiiicli the King's Troops killed near 100 of the 
Rebels, without any loss, that Genl Burgo^-ne was, to 
the best of his knowledge, at Saratoga last Monday 
which was thirty-six miles from Albany, and says that 
heard Cannon last Tuesda}^ but knew no Particulars, 
and further says that when he was taken Prisoner, but 
five Hessians had deserted from the King's Troops, but 
that the Rebels deserted to them in great numbers. 

Dear Sir, 

I shall send ofl' this night to Gen' Burgoyne at the 
same time I desire to inform 3'ou that all the armed 
Ships are in want of ammunition, that it will be abso- 
lutely necessary for a Frigate to lay off Esopns for the 
reasons mentioned by Sir J. Wallace to the Commodore, 
that the Heavy Ships cannot get nearer than 46 Miles 
to Albany but that the smaller ones will proceed higher 
up. 



48 VAUGHAN'S 

It is reported that the Rebels Army near Albany 
amounts to 18000 men. 

I am 

Dear Sir 

Your most obed' & 

Humble Servant 
John Vaughan. 
From on Board the Friendship ofl Livingston's 
Mills thai were,^ Saturday 18 Ocf 1777, Morning 10 
o'clock." 

(True copy.) C. Tillinghast." 

Endorsed in Gen. Gates' handwriting: 
" Intercepted letter from M. G. Vaughan to Lt. G. 
Sir Henry Clinton, dated Livingston's Mills, 18 Oof 

1777." 

Of course Gen. Vaughan could not hope, after the 
intelligence of Burgoyne's disaster at Saratoga, to 
make much further effort to the northward, and moving 
up the river, lay off Saugerties until the 23d, landing 
detachments from time to time and destroying the 
powder mills ut Livingston's manor and the houses of 
Chancellor Livingston, Mrs. Montgomery, and doing 
other damage, as related by a writer in a newspaper 
before cited. 

On their return they came to, opposite Kingston 
on the evening of the 23d ; on the following morning 
sailed down the river, and in the afternoon of that day 
they passed the Chevaux-de-frize at New Windsor and 
rejoined the forces in the Highlands. 

The result of the expedition did not satisfy the 
loyalists in America or England ; they complained bit- 
terly of the dilatory ])olicy of Sir Henry Clinton and 
General Vaughan, and seemed to think tliat they could 
easily have accomplished the sixty miles' sail and made 
themselves masters of Albany. It is quite likely this 
could have been done for there were no troops of any 
account in that city, but General Vanghan heard of the 
fate of the Northern army, and felt assured that his re- 
turn to New York might, in the event of his going 
higher, prove a difficult matter, and therefore did not 

' Underscored in tliR paper quoted, and showing the 
these valiant marauders. 



SECOND EXPEDITION. 49 

chose to hazard his own reputation as a military com- 
mander by a desperate effort to save his fellow soldier 
at Saratoga. Gen. Vaughan has also asserted that a 
contrary wind prevented his further advance — an asser- 
tion not borne out by the opposite statement of Gov. 
Clinton, that a " strong southerly wind " was blowing. 
I have a copy of the log-book of the " Preston," which, 
it will be remembered, remained near the forts of the 
Highlands, and southerly winds are noted in the register 
as having prevailed on the days mentioned in the Gov- 
ernor's letter. There certainly was a head wind on the 
17th and 18th of October, when the squadron were 
getting up to Saugerties, but not afterwards, so it was 
the news from Burgoyne, which prevented General 
Vaughan from advancing, not the wind. 

On the morning of the 18th the troops witnessed 
the execution of Taylor, the spy, at Hurley. As soon 
as possible Gen. Gates dispatched two brigades south- 
ward, and after the enemy had dropped down the river 
the whole force moved to New Windsor and to join Gen. 
Washington in the Jerseys. 

The first session of the Court of Common Pleas of 
Ulster County, after the fire, commenced at the house of 
Johannes Tack, Inn-holder, in Marbletown, May 5th, 
1778 

Levi Pawling, Dirck Wynkoop, Jr., Judges ; Johan- 
nes yieght, Nathan Smith and Patrick Barber, Assistant 
Justices. 

The Council of Safety, dispersed at the burning of 
Kingston, did not meet again until the 19th of October 
at the house of Andrew Oliver in Marbletown, when the 
following preamble and resolution was passed : 

" Whereas, The late destruction of the town of 
Kingston, and a vast number of dwelling houses, im- 
provements, grain and fodder on each side of Hudson's 
river, by a cruel — inhuman and merciless enemy, has 
deprived many persons and families, the good subjects of 
this State, of shelter and subsistance for themselves and 
their cattle — calamities which, by the blessing of God 
on the fruits of this land, those who have not shared 
in so uncommon a misfortune, are enabled, in a great 
measure, to relieve 

Resolved, therefore. That it be, and it is hereby, 
most earnestly recommended to the several and respect- 
ive general and district committees of the counties of 



50 VAUGHAN'S SECOND KXPEDITION. 

Ulster, Dutchess, Orange and Westchester, to make or 
cause to be made a proper and pi'oportionate distribu- 
tion of the aforesaid distressed persons and families, and 
their cattle, to the end that they ma}- all be provided 
for, as the circumstances of the country will permit ; 
and it is hereby most strenuously urged on all those who 
may not have shared with them in their afSiciions, to 
receive the aforesaid persons, families and cattle, and 
furnish them with shelter and subsistence at a moderate 
rate." 

The sessions of the Council continued at Marble- 
town until November I8th, when they adjourned to 
Hurley, meeting at the house of Capt. Jan Van Deu- 
sen until the 17th of December. After this date it 
ceased to meet in Ulster County, but resumed business 
at Poughkeepsie, December 22d, 1777. 

The Supreme Court, which opened for the first time 
on the 9th of September, with an able charge from 
Chief Justice Jay, which was printed in Holt's paper, 
and is found in his life by Wm. Jay, had adjourned be- 
fore the attack. 

And here terminates the sketch of the Expedition 
of Gen. Vaughan,but I may be permitted to recall the 
pleasant change in public sentiment, which the lapse of 
three-quarters of a cetitury has brought about. This 
very morning, not two hours since, the grandson of that 
king, George the Third, whom our fathers so much de- 
tested, was honored with a salute from the cannon of 
the organized' militia of this county, successors of the 
men of 1777, and fired, too, from the very spot where 
eighty-three years ago, at the same hour, the guns of 
Pawling's redoubts were speeding messengers of death 
into the royal squadron. May this visit of the Prince 
of Wales serve to increase that harmony, which should 
ever exist among the great members of the Anglo- 
Saxon race, " Creation's priests and kings !" 



APPENDIX 



APPENDIX 



NOTES AND DOCUMENTS, 



Note I. 

SIR JAMES WALLACE. 

Is found as a Lieutenant, March 11th, 1755, and became a Com- 
mander in 1762 — was made a Post Captain, June 10th, 1771. In com- 
mand of tlie Rose, 20 gun frigate, he was stationed at Newport during 
tlie winters of 1774-75, and particularly annoyed the inliabitants of 
Rliode Island by the detention of their shipping and constant attempts 
to carry oiT their live stock, &c. On this account a spirited correspond- 
ence took place between Governor Cooke and Captain Wallace, but 
Arnold in his History of Rhode Island (II. p. ti51,) has preserved a more 
laconic one, which he had with Commodore Whipple of the new Conti- 
nental navy. Whipple had been a leader in the famous attack upon 
the British schooner Gaspee, burned not far from Providence ; on learn- 
ing this, Wallace addressed the following epistle to him : 

"You, Abrahiim Whipple, on the 10th of June, 1772, burned His 
Majesty's vessel, the Gaspee, and I will hang you at the yard arm 

James W.^llace." 
The answer was equally short and pithy : 

" To Sir James Wallace, Sir — Always catch a man before you hang 
him. Abraham Whipple." 

Not long after this Sir James bombarded the town of Bristol, in Ehode 
Island. In 1777 he had comma;:d of the Experiment, 50 gun frigate, 
and afterwards served in the Nonsuch, 64. He saw much service upon 
the American coast during the revolution, and was thoroughly detested 
for the severity with which he carried out the orders of the King's gov- 
ernment, A characteristic anecdote of his brutality and the severe 
retort of a Philadelphia Quaker, is in Graydon's Jl/emoirs, ]i. 76. April 
]2tl], 1794, he became a rear-admiral; a vice-admiral June 1st, 1795, 
and on the 1st of .lanuary, 1801, was made an admiral of the Blue. He 
distinguished himself in several acti(ms, and in the latter part of his life 
was appointed Gov rnor of Newfoundland. Died in London, March 
6tli, 18U3, (Gent. Mag. — Navy List, ^-c.) 



54 APPENDIX, 

Note II. 
GEN. VAUGHAN. 

The Hon. John Vaiighaii, the second son of Wilmot, 3d Viscount 
Lisburne, entered the army in 1746, as a cornet in the 10th dragoons, 
and in 1756 appears as a captain in the 17th regiment of foot. While a 
lieutenant colonel he commanded a .division of grenadiers at the cap- 
ture of Martinique, and distinguished himself on that occa.sion. On the 
lltli of May, 1775, he succeeded to the colonelcy of the 46th regiment, 
then ordered on service in America, and there he acted as Brigadier and 
Major General, having the local rank of the last grade from Jan. 1st, 
1776, and the full commission on the British establishment from Aug. 
29th, 1777. Gen. Vaughan was wounded in the thigh shortly after the 
landing on Long Island, and for a time disabled from active service. 
Commanding in the right column of attack upon Forts Clinton and 
Montgomery, his horse was killed under him, and he is thus particu- 
larly noticed iu Sir Henry Clinton's orders, of Oct. 7th, 1777 : "Fort 
Montgomery is henceforth to be distinguished by the name of Fort 
Vaughan, in memory of the intrepidity and noble perseverance which 
Major General Vaughan showed in the assault of it. " The second expe- 
dition up the Hudson and the barbarous destiuction of Kingston, will 
keep the name of Vaughan in lively remembrance in the State of New 
York. After his services on the continent we next hear of him in the 
office of commander-in-chief of tlie forces in the Leeward Islands, where, 
in conjunction with Admiral Rodney, he took St. Kustatiiis, and some 
proceedings there brought out a smart debate in the House of Com- 
mons. 

Gen. Vaughan was appointed governor of Fort William, in Scotlandj 
but shortly afterwards obtained the more lucrative post of Berwick and 
Holy Island. He represented Berwick in four successive parliaments, 
and became a Lieutenant General in 1782 In 1793, the government 
conferred upon him the Order of the Buth, and on the 30th of June, 
nsa, Gen. Vaughan died suddenly, and not without suspicion of 
poison, in the island of Martinique. He was unmarried, and at the 
time of his death had attained his 57th year. {Geni. Mag. — Army 
List., Src.) 



NOTR III. 

DANIEL TAYLOR, THE SPY. 

Diinit-1 Taylor, a first lieutenant, in Captain Stewart's company of the 
9th regiment of the Royal Army, as he says in his confession, was 
arrested on tlie lOtli of October, in the neighborhood of Little Britain, 
Orange county, by a picket guard of Col. Webb's regiment, under the 
command of Lieut. Howe. It seems tliat he was deceived by the uni- 
form of the party, who wiTe clothed in red coats, which had been 
recently captured m a British transport. Some of them had been dyed 
blue — the regimental uniform — 'but time did not permit the wliole parcel 
to be so clianged, and they were served out in their original sanguinary 
hue. Asking the name of the conjmanding general, he was answered. 
General Clinton, into whose presence, at his own request he was con- 
ducted. There, instead of t^ir Henry, the royal commander, he found 
the republican governor, George Clinton, and he was immediately 
observed to put something into his mouth. But the story will be best 



APPENDIX. 55 

Did in the following extract from a Ifitter of Gov. Clinton to the Council 
of Safety, dated " Mrs. Falls, 11th October, 1777 " (Jour. Prov. Conv., 

' "The letter from Clinton to Burgoyne, taken from Daniel Taylor, was 
inclosed in a small silver ball of an oval form, about the size of a fusee 
bullet, and shut with a screw in the middle. When he was taken and 
brougiit before me he swallowed it. I mistrusted this to he the case, 
from' information I received, and administered to him a very strong 
emetic calculated to act either way. This had the de.sired effect; it 
brought it from him ; but though close watched, he had the art to con- 
ceal it a second time. 

1 made him believe I had taken one Capt. Campbell, another mes- 
senger who was out on the same business ; that I learned from him all I 
wanted to know, and demanded the ball on pain of being hung up 
instantly and cut open to search for it, This brought it forth.'' 

The contents of this letter was as follows : 

"Fort Montgomery, October 8th, 1777. 

" Nous y void, and nothing now between us but Gates I sincerely 
hope this little success of ours may facilitatK your operations In answer 
to your letter of the 28th Sept., by C. C, I shall onlv say, I cannot pre- 
sume to order, or even advise, for reasons obvious. I heartily wish you 
success. Faithfully \ ours, 

Gvn. Burgoyne. H. Clinton- 

The C. C. mentioned in the letter was another spy (Captain Campbell) , 
who left the Highlands with a similar message, and more fortunate than 
Taylor, actually reached General Burgoyne on the 16th of the month. 

This bullet belonged formerly to Gen. James Talmadge, and was 
exhibited at a meeting of the New York Historical Society, in 1S43. It 
Is said to be now in the possession of Charles A. Clinton, Esq., and that 
the writing upon the slip of paper which was inclosed therein is nearly 
obliterated. 

In Eao-er's History of Orange County, we are told that Dr. Moses 
Higby, who then resided at " the Sqiiare," administered the emetic which 
afforded such convincing proof of Taylor's employment. 

Tavlor was, of course, detained in custody, and on the 14th a Gen- 
eral Court Martial met for his trial 

" At a general Court Martial held at the heights of New Windsor 
the 14th October, 1777, by order of Brigadier General George Clinton, 
whereof Colonel Lewis Duboyse was President. 

Major Bradford, Capt. Galespie, 

Major Huntington, Capt. Conklin, 

Capt. Savage, Capt. Wood, 

Capt. Watson, Capt. Hamtramk, 

Capt. Wyllis, Capt. Lee, 

Capt. Ellis, Capt. Huested. 

Daniel Taylor, charged with lurking about the camp as a spy from 
the enemy, confined by order of General Clinton, was brought before 
said court, and to the above crime the prisoner ple.id not guilty. But 
confessed his being an Express from General Clinton to General Bur- 
goyne, when taken. And that he had been employed as an Express 
also, from General Burgoyne to General Clinton, and was taken in the 
Camp of the Army of the United States near New Windsor, by Lieut. 
Howe. Taylor likewise oonfe.ssed his being a first Lieutenant in Cap- 
tain Stew.irt's Company in the 9th Regiment of the British Troops, and 
but one man iu company when taken. The prisoner plead that he was 
not employed as a spy, "but on the contrary was charged both by Gene- 
ral Clinton and Burgoyne not to come near our Camp ; but meeting 



56 APPENDIX. 

accidentally with some of our troops, in British Uniform, he was there- 
by deceived and discovered himself to them. 

The Court after considering the case, were of opinion that the pri- 
soner is guilty of the charge brought against him, and adjudged him to 
suffer death, to be hanged at such time and place as the General shall 
direct. 

A true copy of the proceedings : Test. 

Lewis Ddboys, Col., 

President."* 

In the Clinton Papers is another Document, viz : 

'■ The confession of Daniel Taylor at New Windsor. Oct. 9, 1777. 

I left B'ort Montgomery yesterday evening witli a charge from Gen- 
eral Clinton to go to General Burgoyne and acquaint him that he had 
landed about five miles below the Fort, clambered over the mountains, 
and stormed with small arms the back part of the Fort, which he car- 
ried with the loss of Lt Col" Grant, of Reg' Volunteers, Major Camp- 
bell, Major Sela, {Sill} a number other officers and about 300 rank and 
file, that the oiistructions in the river were now nearly removed and 
that he, Gen' Burgoyne, might now move forward or go back, and to 
acquaint him that Gen' Howe was near Philadelphia, and had defeated 
the Rebels; and that the Frigates belonging to the Rebels in the River 
were both burnt. 

A Capt Campbell had come from Gen' Burgoyne to Gen' Clinton 
with dispatclies. and set of on his return, on Tuesday morning y" T"" 
inst. 

I left Gen' Burgoyne 6 mile above Fort Edward the last of July, 
■with orders to acquaint the commanding Officer in New York, that the 
Roads were so broke up it was extremely difficult, but so soon as he 
could clear the way he should advance. 

I was likewise to inform Gen' Burgoyne that they had now the Key 
of America (say the passes thro' the Highlands of Hudson's River.)" 

When the little army of Governor Clinton moved down the Wal- 
kill to save Kingston, Taylor was taken along, his name appearing 
every day in the guard reports. In the interval of a short h;dt it seem.s 
the Governor found time to consider the case, if indeed, it required 
much consideration, alter the interview at Little Britain, and the follow- 
ing General Order issied on the morning of the destruction of Kingston 
determined his fate. 

■' Head Quarters, at Marble Town, ( 
16th October, :777. ( 
The sentenct^ of the General Court Martial whereof Col" DuBois 
was President, against the within named Daniel Taylor is approved a:id 
ordered to be carried into execution, when the troops are paraded and 
before they march to morrow morning. 

Geo. Clinton, B. Orn', 

Continental Army." 

It was not, however, carried iiit<i efl'ect on the 17th, as directed ; no 
doubt the attention of the troops was taken up with matters at Kingston. 
He was still under guard on the morning of the 18th, when his name 
ceases to trouble the officer in charge. 

In a MS. journal kept by a person in Clinton's force, which has 
been communicated to me by Mr. Jonathan \V. Hasbrouck, is this 
entry : 

•Clinton Paport. 



APPENDIX 57 

" 18, Saturday. Mr. Taylor, a spy taken in Little Brittain, was hung 
here. Mr. Remain and myself attended him yesterday, and I have 
spent ye morning in discoursing to him, and attended him at ye gallows. 
He did not appear to be either a political or a gospel penitent." 

Tradition has it that Taylor was hanged on an apple tree near the 
village of Hurley. 

Among the articles found on his person, and now preserved in the 
Clinton papers, in the State Library, are two letters from soldiers in the 
British army at New York, from which it may be supposed that Taylor 
came from the neighborhood of Kinderhook in Columbia county, 

" Mr Daniel Taylor Sir i am glad to hear that you are come in safe 
again i hear you are a going home ward i have Roght a few Lines to 
my wife and my brother witch they will understand and i hope it will 
not indanger yon. rap up some small things in it as tho it was sume 
old paper. Your brother John is not well this from your frend." 

.TosiAH Woodward." 

" Kings bridge .July 31>^t 1777 
M'' Daniel Taylor Sir these are to let you know I am well as all that 
came from Kinderhook Except your Brothers John. Joseph, peter are 
something Poorly, but are all able to walk. I have nothing stranoe to 
Wright Sirs I Desere you would take the trouble to Wright to me and 
Let me Know the state of a lairse in our Naber Whood of our famalyes 
and frinds that came from Kenderhook, for 1 bear that you are a going 
Northard once more and if you arive to Kinderhook We all Desere you 
to Let our familes Know how we all are Sir Be so kind as to Wright 
to some frind in our Nabourhood that they may have sertain Inteligence 
I would have wrote to my wife but I thought you would not chuse to 
carry a letter Remember us to all Enquiring frinds. So I remain your 
frind till Death. Benj. Ingraham in 

To Mr Daniel Taylor Cap' Taget Compny.'' 

Whether this is the same Taylor who had been before arrested as a 
Tory, as appears from the List of N. Y. State prisoners, confined at Phil- 
adelphia, from Oct., 1776, to January, 1777 (.lour. Prov. Conv. I, p. 1000), 
may be a matter of conjecture. 



Note IV. 

MEMBERS OF CONGRESS AND THli LEGISLATURE. 

James Clinton. — A biographical sketch may be found in Ruttenber's 
Obstructions to the Navigation of Hudson's River, p. 99, and a portrait 
in Irving's Washington, 5th Edition. 

Governor George Clinton. — See Street's Council of Revision, for the 
fullest account of this revolutionary worthy. 

Col. Johannes Haedenbebgh. — Son of the patentee of the " Hardeu- 
bergh Patent," was a member of the Colonial Assembly from 1737 to 
1743, and again of the State Legislature in 17S1 and 'Si. He held the 
post of Colonel in the first regiment of the county militia for upwards of 
20 years and died Aug. 29th, 178C, aged 80 years and 2 months. The 
Hasbrouck MS. diary, notes that " he was a true and sincere friend to 
Church and State. He was about 6 feet 2 or 3 inches high, walked 
straight and upright, well proportioned of body, light eyes of a grayish 
cast, light brown hair." 

When Gen. Washington visited the county iu June, 1783, Col. Har- 



58 APPENDIX. 

denbergh entertained Mrs. Washington, with Governor and Mrs. Clin- 
ton, at breakfast, at his house in Rosendale — a substantial edifice, 
of but little architectural pretensions, which was recently the residence 
of Mr. Cornell. 

Egbert Ddmond, Sherifl'of Ulster county under the Crown, from 1771 
to '73, from the first acted with the revolutionary party, and was a 
deputy in the Provincial Congress which met in May, l775. In the 
same month an ordinance of the Convention appointed him Sheriff, 
which he held until 1781, and again from 1785 to '89. He was much 
engaged in public aftairs during the revolution, and seems to have been 
greatly relied upon by the executive authority of these times. 

Abthce Parks. — Member for the county in the 3d and 4th Provincial 
Congresses, and Major of Mmute Men, and Senator from the middle dis- 
trict from 1777 to 1788. He appears to have been appointed Surrogate in 
178.'), but probably did not qualify, and in 1801 was chosen a member 
of the Constitutional Convention." lu Eager's History of Orange County 
it is said he died in Montgomery, Aug. 11th, 1806, in the 70th year of 
his age. 

CoL. Levi Pawling. — Levi Pawling of Marbletown was appointed 
Colonel of the Ulster County Militia, at the organization under the 
revolutionary government, his commission bearing date Oct. 25th, 1775. 
In July 177ti, he is ordered into active service at the Highlands, and his 
regiment continued on duty there for several months. 

Col. Pawling posss-ssed the confidence of the people, and was one of 
tlie three delegates to the Provincial Convention which met at the Ex- 
change in New York, in April, 1775, and was also of the Congresses of 
1776 and 1777. The Convention appointed him first judge of the 
county, May Sth, 1777, and this office he held during the remainder of 
hi.s lile. At the general election in 1777 he became a Senator, and in 
1782 was again chosen — during his first term being a member of the 
Council of Appointment He was the senior officer and commanded the 
handful of men who opposed the landing of the British at Esopus, on 
the 16ih of October, 1777. Col. Pawling died in 1782. His son, Albert 
Pawling, was Brigade Major to Governor Clinton iu the beginning of the 
war ; — afterwards removed to Troy, and a biography of him is given in 
Judge Woodworth's Reminiscences (p. 53). 

.)OHN Nicholson, raised a company of men for the Continental army 
in July, 1775. Deputy in the first Provincial Congress, and a resident 
of New V/indsor. 

Moses Cantine, resided at Marbletown; Member of the Assembly 
of ISi'O; was one of the Judges of Common Pleas. Died at Marble- 
town in July, 1827, ag^d 74. 

Cornelius C. Schoonmaker. — This Mr. Schoonmaker, of Shaw- 
angunk, was Chairman of the County Committee at one time ; was cho- 
sen a member of Assembly nearly every year from 1777 to 1795. From 
1791 to '93 represented the district iu the second Congress of the United 
States and had been sent as a delegate to th« Constitutional Convention 
of 1778. Mr. Schoonmaker had been a surveyor by profession, and occa- 
sionally tried his own real estate cases in the Supreme Court. He died at 
no great age in February or March, 1796. The Hon. Marius Schoon- 
maker of Kingston is his grandson. 

Jacob Hoornbeck. — Appointed Lieutenant Colonel of Pawliug's 
regiment, Oct. 25th, 1775. Most of the time during the early part of the 
revolution, chairman of the Rochester Committee of Safety, and iu May, 



APPENDIX. 59 

1775, a deputy to the first Provincial Congress. He died of a camp 
fever, after a lingering illness, on the 10th of January, 1778, and was 
buried in the church-yard at Rochester. (Hasbrouck MS. Diary.) 

Sasiuel Bfewstek. — Chairman of the precinct committee in 1777. 
Was a senator from the Middle District from 1805 to 1808, — resided at 
New Windsor. 

Matthew Rea. — A member of the 2d, 3d, and 4th Provincial 
Congresses, and also a member of Assembly from Ulster county, from 
1777 t" 1779. He resided in Shawangunk. 

Henrv VVisnek, Jr. — Member of the 2d, 3d, and 4th Provincial 
Conventions ; In 1785 was appointed Surrogate of Ulster county. In 
1777-78 lie represent<'d Ulster in the Assembly, and after the severance 
of some towns from Ulster, again represented his district in 1788 and 
'89 ; I suppose that he was a sou of Henry Wisner, of Goshen, one of 
the distinguished men of Orange during the Revolutionary period, but 
of whom this is not the place to speak particularly. Eager's History 
of Orange County gives very little information about the Wisners. 



XllTE V. 
COL. ABRAHAM HASBROUCK. 

Abraham Hasbrouck, the son of Joseph and grandson of Abraham 
Hasbrouck, one of the twelve proprietors of the New Paltz patent, was 
born at Guilford near New Pnitz village, Aug. 21st, 1707 June 11th, 
1735, he removed to Kingston and lived in tlie house in East Front, at 
the head of Main Street, now known as Schryver's hotel. Ou the 5tli 
of January, 1738, he married Catharine, daughter of Jacobus Bruyn, of 
Shawangunk. 

In i757, we find him Colonel of the Ulster county militia, and a 
letter from him to Lieut. Gov. Delancy, detailing an Indian attack upon 
the town of Rochester is in the Doc. His. (II. p. 764,) — was a member 
of the Colonial Assembly from 1739 to 1745, 174S to 1750, and again 
from 1759 to 176S. Col Hasbrouck occupied a prominent position 
in the political history of his time, and took an active part in the 
movements of the patriots of the revolution. In Oct., 1775, he was 
appointed by the Provincial Congress Lieutenant Colonel of the 
regiment of militia commanded by Col. Johannes Snyder. Con- 
siderable difiii'ulty in regard to rank arose among the officers of the 
several regiments, evidently increased by the appointment of George 
Clinton as Brigadier General of the district. The officers of the Northern 
regiment remonstrated with the Provincial Congress, and the corres- 
pondence has been printed with the Journal of that body (Vol. I, p. 
153). In consequence of this difficulty, Colonel Hasbrouck declined 
to serve, and after some twenty years continuance in his position 
retirid from military life. He was deputy to the Third Provincial Con- 
gress which met at White Plains, ;ind after the revolution represented 
the county in the Assembly of 1781-82, but ou account of his advanc- 
ing years declined a re-election to that body. 

Col Hasbrouck was a gentleman of considerable antiquarian taste 
and his collections relative to the early history of the county, it is said, 
were quite valuable, but unfortunately they were lost at the burning of 
liis house in 1776. The only article of this sort preserved, was the 
family record which has been before quoted and from which some of 
these detail.-- are taken. After a life of usefulness and credit, he died 
Nov. Idth, 1791, and was buried, with military honors, at Kingston. 



60 APPENDIX. 

The other Colonel (Jonathan) Hasbrouck of this period was a younger 
brother of Abraham, and resided in the house commorily termed 
" Washington's Headquarters," at Newburgh. 



XoTr: YI. 

COL. JONATHAN HASBEOUCK. 

Jonathan Hasbrouck was the younger son of Joseph Hasbrouck, of 
Guilford, in the precinct of New Paltz, Ulster count)', where he was 
born about the year 1722. In May, 1751, he was married to Tryntje, 
(Catharine) daughter of Cornelius DuBois, and shortly after removed to 
Newburgh and there he continued to reside during the remainder of his 
life. This gentleman held various local offices, and his commission as 
Colonel of the Soutl.ern regiment of Ulster County militia is dated 
Oct. 25th, 1775. The regiment was often called out, but from the ill 
health of Col Hasbrouck was commanded much of the time by the 
Lieutenant Colonel, Johannes Harden bergh, Jr. and it was under him 
at the time of Governor Clinton's forced march to succor Kingston in 
1777. In the appendix may be found a return of the service performed 
by this regiment. Col. Hasbrouck enlarged the bouse at Newbnrgb, well 
known as "Washington's Head Quarters," and it remained in the pos- 
session of the family nearly a century, but it is now the property of 
the State and cared lor by the trustees of the village of Newburgh. 
Lossing's Field Book, (II p. 99) has a good view of it. In consequence 
of continued ill health Col Hasbrouck resigned his military commission 
in 1778, and died July 31st, 1780. (Hasbrouck MS. Diaryj—Jowr. Prov. 
Conv.) 



XoTR VII. 

JACOBUS LEFFERTS. 

Jacobus Leiferts, a New York Alderman, and a man of fortune, liold^ 
ing a large landed estate in Ulster county, and who was probably staying 
there to secure its possessioT), resided in the house (termed on Kmockston 
Point in ah advertisement I have seen), not far from the Saugerties road — 
near the residence of Cornelius Bruyn, Esq., — and now owned by Peter 
J. DuBois. His sympathies were undoubtedly with the Crown, and in 
a list of Tories in the Clinton Papers at Albany, he " has the King's pro- 
tection." Mr. Lefferts married in April, 1772, Lucretia Brinckerhoft'. 

A letter from Gen. Jno. Morin Scott, in the same MSS., will illustrate 
the matter, as well as show that the leading men of the State were not 
always disposed to mete out even to Tories, the same measure Sir Henry 
Clinton and his plunderers were giving them. 

" Mahble Town, Novt 7"i 1777. 
"Dear Sir, 

" At the request of Mr Leffertse I trouble you with his case. When 
General Warners Brigade passed thro' Kingston an Officer in his na'.i;o 
took from Mr Leffertse his Coach Horses of Great Vahie, for tlie Gen- 
eral's Use, tho' he oflered the officer a good pair of Waggon Hor.'j.'S in 
their stead. Mr Leftertse se.t his clerk after tlieni, but could get only 
one of them back. The best of the two and one of tlie most valuable in 
the country is still detained and all lie could get for it is a lieceipt of 



APPENDIX 6 1 

which the inclosed is a copy. Such wanton liberty with mens property 
are not to be tolerated. We have siifEired too much by abuses of the 
like kind committed by Troops of other States passing thro' this. We 
are contending in vain for our Liberty agt British Tyranny if we are to 
be subject to internal oppression. At least if General Warner wanted 
Horses he should have applied to some proper authority within this 
State for a supply. As General Warner may be in yonr way, I could 
wish, Sir, you would prevail on him to send Mr. Leffertse Horse back to 
iiim unliurt. For whatever his political character may be, on which I 
shall not take on me to decide, He and his property are under the 
protection of the Government nor is either of them to be taken from 
him bv Military Force. I am 

Sir, 

With great respect 

Your Excellency's 

Most obedient servant 
His Excellencv Gov Clinton. Jno. Mokin Scott." 



Note VI II. 

CHARLES DEWITT. 

After Governor Clinton the most prominent man of Ulster county, 
during the Revolution, was Charles DeWitt. of Greenkill, as he ."sub- 
scribed himself, a locality near Kingston. Before the separation from 
Gi-eat Britain he represented the county in the Colonial Assembly from 
1768 to 1775, and as a member of the last legislative body which sat 
under the royal authority, was one of the nine resolute and patriotic 
men who voted to approve of the proceedings of the Continental Con- 
gress, then recently organized at Philadelphia. This and other rebel- 
lious symptoms soon induced Governor Tryon to dissolve the Assembly, 
and we next find him at the head of the County Committee of Safety, 
taking measures to secure the liberty which was now to be fought for iu 
the open field. His leading position at once places him in the Provin- 
cial Convention of April, 1775, and his name frequently occurs in the 
Journals of the subsequent Congresses, as well as in the Goiimittee of 
Safety sitting in the recess of the larger bodies. He was appointed 
Colonel of a regiment of Minute Men, Dec 21st, 1775, but does not ap- 
pear to have devoted his attention to tile particular duties of his mili- 
tary command i indeed this plan of raising a reliable force of this sort, 
was found somewliat impracticable and soon fell into neglect. On the 
appointment of the important committee of Congress " for detecting and 
defeating conspiracies, &c.," Col. DeWitt is placed upon it with William 
Duer, Zeph. Piatt, Col. Van Courtlaiidt, John Jay, &c., and he continued 
to serve for a considerable time. When it was resolved to lake the 
necessary steps to form a state government, the Convention elected Col. 
DeWitt a member of the committee to prepare a draft of the Consti- 
tution, and the one reported by them, was, after no great discussion, 
adopted, April 20, 1777, and under it the people passed through the 
revolutionary struggle, and came out a free and independent govern- 
ment. 

The arrest of Col. DeWitt as an absconding recruit, by an officer of 
Snyder's regiment, arising evidently from some local jealou.sy, was made 
the subject-of a "question of privilege," in the Convention; the com- 
mittee seemed determined to probe the matter to the bottom, and they 
examined all the parties charged with the offence, and finally compelled 



62 APPENDIX. 

Bnndry persons to purge themselves of contempt into which the House 
voted them. 

In 1784, he was chosen a delegate to the Continental Congress. After 
the close of the war the country had still need of his services, and from 
1781 to 1785 he sat in the Assembly of the State From a printed slip 
iipon a portrait in possession of one of his descendants, Richard DeWitt, 
Esq., it would seem that he died April 27th, 1787. A photograph from 
this portrait, is in the Society's archives. His son, Charles G. DeWitt, 
edited the Ulster Sentinel for many years, represented the district in 
Congress, and was charge d'affaires of the United States to one of the 
South American republics. 



Note IX. 

CHRISTOPHER TAPPEN. 

Was born at Kingston in June, 1742, and descended from one of the 
early settlers of Esopus. He must have been a surveyor by profes- 
sion, but acted for many years as deputy to his brother-in-law, George 
Clinton, who held the Ulster County Clerkship for the unprecedBnted 
period of sixty years, viz : 1752 to 1812. While he was Governor of 
the Stale, and even when he became Vice President of the United States. 
We find Tappen's name constantly connected with Kingston, whether 
in the Trustees' records or the doings of the authorities of the venerable 
church at Esopus, or as a civil magistrate. Of course suoii a man, in 
such a locahty, would be found upon the popular side in the struggle 
for independence, and he soon appears in the deliberations of the County 
Committee, and represented Ulster in the 1st, 3d, and 4th Provincial 
Congresses, and his prominence there placed him often in the Council 
of Safety. On the organization of the regiments of minute-men in Dec. 
1775, he is appointed a Major, but probably did not see much active 
duty, his abilities being more valued in the civil service of the country. 
IVIajor Tappen was a member of the secret committee for obstructing the 
navigation of the Hudson, in July, 1776, and had previously, in con- 
junction with James Clinton, prepared a plan for fortifying the High- 
lands. After the Revolution, Major Tappen sat in the Assembly in 
1788. 17811 and 1790, and was elected Senator from the Middle District 
in 1797. He is named in the act creating the first Board of Regents of 
the University in 1784. After the death of Governor Clinton, in 1812, 
he was appointed Clerk of the county, and thus the oflice continued in 
the family until 1821, when the weight of years, no doubt, induced 
Major Tappen to resign it. He died August 3d, 1826, and was buried 
at Kingston. A long obituary notice by his son, John J. Tappen, editor 
of the Plebian, is in the paper of the 9th of August, 1826. 



DOCUMENTS 



No. I. 

Letter from Commodore Hotham to the Viscount Howe. 

Preston off Peeks Kilncreek 
15. Oct' 1777. 
My Lord, 

Since I had the hononr to write to you by the Apollo, not anything 
material has happened here ; but Sir Henry Clinton having occasion to 
write to the Commander in Chief, I take the same opportunity to 
acquaint your lordship, that the Number of men which would be neces- 
sary for the Defence of the more extensive Garrison of Fort Montgomery, 
has induced Sir Henry to de.s*,ioy it, & to add some works to that of 
Fort Clinton which commanding the first, etiectually removes all appre- 
hension from thence, and reduces the Force necessary to maintain it to 
about 800 men. This has enabled him to send a Detachment of about 
1600 men up the North River under General Vaughan ; Sir James Wal- 
lace who has already explored the River as high as Pakepsy, directs tlie 
Naval Part consisting of the Gallies & small vessels as before; and 
Captn Stanhope under him commands the Detachment of Flat Boats 
appointed for the occasion. 

Tbey sailed yestei-day, & are now above the Chevaux de frize off Pol- 
lepus island, where I have placed the Mercury to secure that Passage 
against their return, & the Cerberus being reported to me as only fit for 
River service takes lier station ott' Stoney Point to scour that neck, & to 
give her assistance at tlie same time to the Camp at Verplanks. 

The Tartar flanks approaches to Fort Clinton, k the Preston lies 
between the t%\ o, within signals of either. 

The principal object of the move up the River is to facilitate the mo- 
tions (whatever they may be) of the Northern Army, and by the alarm 
which it will occasion to cause a Diversion in their Favour. 

The Unicorn was to sail to-day with a Convoy of victuallers for Rhode 
Island. The Galatea's rudder was dropping ott' and has been obliged to 
be unliung & the Bruucs Standing as well as Running Rigging mostly 
condemned by Survey. 

I have the honour to be 
My Lord, 

Yonr Lordships most obedient 
humble Servant 
(Admiralty, jimerican Depmt.) W. Hotham. 



No. II. 

Latter from Commodore Hotham to the Viscount Howe. 

St Albans New York. 21st Ocf 1777 
My Lord, 

My Letters of the 15* instant which you will herewith receive were 
intended to have been sent by the Bristol, who is stopped to proceed 



64 APPENDIX. 

with the Convoy directed by your Lordships Letter of the 10"i . In con- 
sequence of it I liave left tlie command up the North River with Captain 
Symonds until the return of General Vaughan when it is intended to 
evacuate eveiy thing there, as Sir Henry Clinton for the defence of this 
place will now stand in need of every man left under his command. 

The proceedings of the second expedition up the River your Lordship 
will see by the inclosed Copy of a Letter from Sir J;imes Wallace, & one 
also to Sir Henry Clinton from General Vaughan. The wind having 
hung to the Southward ever since, has prevented our hearing any thing 
farther from them : but as it last night shifted & now blows strong from 
the North West, it is reasimable to think we .sVmll have them down, the 
object of their going up the River seeming to be now over, without 
giving credit to the whole of what we hear respecting General Burgoyne'.* 
army. The two Battalions of Anspach were embarked before Sir Henry 
Clinton and I left Verplanks Point and with the wind may be hourly 
expected down. The 17^'' Dragoons with the Convalescents, Recruits, 
Chasseurs & Artillery will be embarked without loss of time, and shall 
proceed (as they are ready) in separate convoys, which from the expe- 
rience I have had of large ones, I consider as the securest and most 
expeditious iray for them to join you. The 7'!' 26^11 & 63<1 Regiments 
are embarked with General Vaughan. 

Some of tiie horse ships are got up to York and the rest of the Tbames's 
Convoy are with her within the Hook, so that Wi' shall not be in any 
want of Transports for the embarkation, nor sh?ll expedition be less 
wanting to forward it. This gives me an opportunity of doing the jus- 
tice I owe to Lieutenant Tonkin ihe ^gent whose Assiduity and Resources 
are felt upon every occasion vheie hiS services are called for. 

I have the honour to tnwismit you this despatch by Capt Kennedy 
who is charged with Sir Henry Clinton's to Sir William Howe by an 
armed vessel of Colonel Sliiriffs the Haerlem having been necessarily 
employed up the River. I have the honor to be 
My Lord 

Your most obedient 
humble servt. 
{Admiralty, .American Depml.) W. Hotham. 



,\o. Ill, 

Gen. James Clinton to Governor Clinton. 

Little Britain Octobr 18. 1777 
Dr Brother. 

Yours of yesterdays date I have just Received. I am sorry for the 
loss of Kingston &c 

Five of the Enemys Shipping Returned Down the River Last night 
without doing any damage, except firing some cannon and small arms 
at our men and wounding one of ours on Board of a Ferry Boat. 

Inclosed I send you two Letters one from Gen. Dickeson and the 

other from Gen. Winds. the Latter I have answered by ordering jiim 

here as by your former Letter. 

I have wrote to Gen. Putnam for a Reinforcement this Day and 
Expect Gen. Winds will be ordered to remain hwe. 

I have ordered Cap' Bellknap to move your slay and what Forage 
he can from the River. 

I am yours aflfectionately, 

JA^rES Clinton' B Gen' 



APPENDIX. 



65 



p. S. Gen. Parsons remains at Peekskill with about 2000. Colo- 
nels Humphreys, & Erinkerhoof Regiments of Militia Left at Fish-Kill, 
Colonel Piatt wit'i about l.iO at Poughkeepsie. 

To His Excellency Gov' Clinton. 



No. IV. 
Morning Report of the Main Guard of Gov. Clinton's ^rmy, Oct. 18, 1777. 

HtjHiEY, Oct. 18, 1777. 
A morning report of the Main Guard consisting of, 



Parole. 


Capt 

1 


Sub'n 


Sorg't. 


Corp'l. 


Privates. 


Gentries by Dfiy, 10. 


Counter Sigo, 
Herd. 


2 


3 


3 


35 


Gentries by Niglit, 7. 



Visited the Centinels frequently, found them alert, on their posts. No 
Grand Rounds. Nothing material happened. 

The names of the Prisoners confined and their names, 

Isaac Van Vleck, taken up as a Spy. 

Daniel Taylor, taken up as a Spy. 

Jonathan Van Waggoner, confined for going over to Long Island to 
the Enemy and Returning to Ulster County. 

Wm Mohany Confined for saying the Rebels were retreating before 
Genl Burgoyne & that he hoped the Rebels would be beat. 

James Henter, Molato Confined for going into New York, with wood 
& coming out again & being found with Tories. 

Thomas Porter for Speaking disrespectfully of our General and Under 
Officers that Commanded at Fort Montgomery and for saying that if it 
had been Commanded by British Officers it would not have been 
given up. 

Mathew McKenuey of Cap* Glaspyes Compy of Col- Hasbroucks 
Regt- Militia confined by Lieu' Hunter, for having Spoken Treason 
against the State. 

Jeremiah Fitzgerald, Stephen Anderson & Benjn Andrews, Confined 
by Major Miffitt for plundering of Leather from the House of Theophilus 
Carwiu, which was found in the Custody and allso for Refusing to Stop 
when ordered Iiy the Cent'- Bar' Miller Confined by Ens° Mumford, 
for being an Enemy to hi^s Country and saying that he was a friend to 
George the tliird King of Great Britain. 
John Comfort I 

Benju Comfort ] 

Jona Harris | 

John S' Clair j Charged with being Enemies to the States 

Godfrey Kuiver J-& being found In Arms against the States 

Maliaga Seager I Confined by L' Col" Hardeubergh 

John Poof I 

Aaron Cruver | 

Yose Henry Tiso J 

John Stump of Cap' Stewarts Compy Colo Dubois's Reg'- 

John Hole a Tory, Confined for being aguide to a party of Colo gam' 
B. Webb thinking tiiey were British Regulars and piloting from his 
own house. 

Jacob Lowes who is said was raising a Compy for the British service 



66 APPENDIX. 

Daniel Wakeman Cap' Johnstons Compy of Militia, Col" Hastrooks 
Reg' Confined for Disobedience of orders, and Refusing to march when 
Legally warned at the late alaiin, Confined by John Hardenbergh 
Lieu' Colo of said Regt- (Regimental). 

Henry Herrill of Colo Pawling's Reg' Militia Confined for disaft'ection 
& Speaking Treasonable against the States of North America, Confined 
by Lieu' Colo Johannis Hardenbergh. 

Samuel Townsend ^ All of Colo Pawlings Reg' Militia, Con- 

Nathaniel Waters V fined by Daniel Freer Ensign, for neglect of 

Robert Hess j Duty & Disobedience of Orders. (Regimental) 

John Christis ^ All Confined by Colo Hardenbergh of Dis- 

Henry Tise > obedience of Orders and Disaffection to the 

Daniel Cogal ) States. 

Henry Hurl ) 

John Cassell J 

Abraham Brinkerhoff by Major Winecup — Released — 
John Ellis, 

Ofiicer of the Guard. 



Nn. V. 

Governor Clinton to Gen. Putnam, 

Hurley, Oct 20. 1777 
Sir, 

I have this moment received your letter of this Date, with the let- 
ters you mention — concerning them I have only to congratulate you on 
the fortunate event by which the preSKnt purposes of the Enemy are 
defeated. 

With respect to the Galley — she is sunk about two miles from the 
landing place There will be some difficulty in raising the cannon 
Especially the 32 p^r — for which we have no carriage on this side 
However if you can send me a traveling carriage and ammunition I will 
endeavor to bring her on shore — 

I very much approve of your intention to annoy the laiemy's fleet 
& shall cheerfuUj' co-operate with you & as General Gates is arrived in 
Albany. The cannon may soon be procured, — What think you of 
attempting Fort Montgomery ? — by General Parsons & the Troops from 
Jersey. George Clinton. 

To the Hub Major General Putnam, Red Hook. 



No. VI. 

Report of the " Officer of the Day " of the Army at Hurley. 

Hurley Town Octobr 20, 1777 
Head Quarters 
A Morning Report of the Officer of the day, who vi.sited the Guards 
& Pickets. 

Coll. Webbs Pickquets, Coll. Dubois and Coll. Sutherland all suf- 
ficient, Coll. Hasbroucks and Ellisons Deficient of Arms and Ammuni- 
tion — 

By Report of Officer of the Main Guard countersign N. York. Tho 



APPENDIX. 



67 



Centinels being frequently visited, found alert on their Posts, and the 
Guard consisting of. 



Capt. 


Lieut's. 
2 


Sarg'ts. 
3 


Corp'iG. 
3 


Privates. 


Total, 


Centinels 




44 


» 


by Day 


by Night 


1 


^ 12 


12 



The number of Prisoners confined in the Main Guard 27 with the 
Crimes given, and 9 without Crimes, 

Given under my hand, 

JoH^ Habdenbeboh GoI. 

P. S. The Guard at Kingston deficient of Light Horse & Ghiides. 



No. VII. 

A Report of the Guard at Kingston, 20tli October, 1777. 

Perole Boston. C. New York. 





Copt. 


Lieut. 


Serg't. 


Corp'l. 


Privates. 


Countersign 
by Day. 


Do 
by Night. 




1 


3 


4 


4 


65 


6 


10 



Nothing strange 
since Guard Mounting. 



John Minthorn Officer 

of the Guard 





Lieut. 


Serg-t. 


Corp'l. 


Privates. 




1 


1 


1 


IS 



Patrolling parties Kept out all Night. 



No. VIII. 

Col. Hasbrouck's Reg't. of Militia— Services 1776 to 1778. 

A return of the Extraordinary Services Lately performed by Collo. 

Hasbrouck's Regiment of Militia since the IS^day of December, 1776 

from Time to Time, the Number of Men in Service, on what particular 

Service, & what Term of Time. 



68 APPENDIX. 

No. of What Term 
What particular Serricc has been performed. Men. of Time. 

First, At the Alarm December 12, 1776 at Ramapaugh, 300 27 days. 
2d At Ramapaugh from 7*^ January, 2 & 1777,. . 100 14 do 
3d Under Col. Pawling from 2 &c of Jany 1777 

till last of April 1777, at Ramapaugh, 200 40 do 

4tii Under Colo Snyder at Fort Montgomery 4 

months,.... , 150 120 do 

5th Under Colo EUison at Fort Montgomery 3 

months, 130 90 do 

6th At the Alarm in March 1777, when the Storef 

was destroyed at Peekskill, 250 4 do 

7th At the Alarm at Fort Montgomery In July 

1777, 460 8 do 

gth At the Alarm at Fort Montgomery In Aug* 

1777, 600 8 do 

Qth At the Alarm at Fort Montgomery in Sep' 

1777, 400 8 do 

10tl> At Fort ' Constitution the 1st October 1777, 

under the Command of Majr Dubois, 200 10 do 

11th The Alarm at the burning of Esopus in Ootr 

1777 460 'M do 

12"i; the Six weeks Service at Nicholas's Point in 
Nov 1777, under the Command of Colo 

Heathorn 120 45 do 

13H> At the West Point in March & Ap. 1778, under 

Mr Wisner 420 8 do 

Given under my hand this IS'li day of June, 1778, 
Errors Excepted 

Job's Hardenbersh, 

L« Colo 
To his Excellency 

George Clinton Esq'' 



No. IX. 
Address oj the Commiltei: of Kingstmi to Governor Clinton respecting their 
■ desire of rebuilding the village. 9"' Feb!' 1778. 

To his Excellency George Clinton Esq"^ Governor and Commander- 
in-Chief of the State of New York. 

The Humble Address of the Committee of Safety & Observation of 
the town of Kingston, 
Humbly make Known, 

That whereas a Dispute is raised Between America and the King of 
Great Britain touching & Concerning Taxation America held such Tax- 
ation unjust & illegal and unwarrantable by the Constitution of KritMin 
America soon entered upon & into mea.-ures to prevent siu-h illegal tax 
King.ston unitedly did join and seconded the measures to prevent the 
Expected oppression by their early embarking in the causn of Liberty 
and their persevering & continued Exertions in support thereof have 
undoubtedly incurred th(^ bitterest resentment of the Enemy to Vent 
such resentment & Expedition up the North river was determined upon 
and the destruction of Kingston thereby eff.'Cted and completed to the 
great loss & Damage of the Inhabitants " Sir many of the Sufferers wou'd 
fain build are Discouraged by means of the enormous prizes of things 



APPENDIX. 



()'J 



& Labour tht) unhappy Sufferers liave always supported the cause with 
proper spirit have always submitted to the present Government cheer- 
fully turned out their Number of men on all Detachments and those 
ordered to be raised to Reinforce the Army and always acted with spirit 
and Resolution however the situation circiimsiances & Difficulties the 
Committee thinks it there indispensible Duty to address your Excel- 
lency in behalf of the sufferers of Kingston that your Excellency there- 
fore wUl be pleased to make use of you'- Interest in Devising means 
whereby the poor Sufferers may obtain Relief, their Spirit to Rebuild the 
town is good but their abilities Weak Assistance for that purpose 
would be Exceedingly agreeable, and mightily revive the present Dejec- 
tion of many of the poor Sufferers the committee may it please your 
Excellency concludes by praying that your Excellency will use all your 
Influence & Interest to obtain Relief for the poor Sufferers of Kingston 
By order of the Committee 

Andries Uewitt Jun" Ch. 



No. X. 

Gov. Clinton's reply to the address of the Committee of Kingston in regard 
to rebuilding the town. . 

Poughkeepsie IT'h Febs' 1778 
Sir, 

Ihave received the Address of the Committee of Kingston dated the 
9'h inst. respecting the Distresses of the Inhabitants of Kingston & the 
aid required to enable them to rebuild the Town. You may rest assured 
Gentlemen tliat wliatever may be in my power to render them shall not 
be witheld but most cheerfully afforded I have already suggested to 
sundry members of the Legislature the Propriety of rehuildiug the Court 
House and Goal at public Expense & have Reason to liope it will be 
done I have likewise mentioned the propriety of fixempting such 
Number of ArtiUcers as shall be necessary, from Military Drafts & Duty 
providing they agree to work at rebuilding the town for Reasonable 
wages, which likewise I hope I shall be enabled to do. 

As to Freer I think no Publick Injury can arise from his continuing 
at home at Present, in the Mean Time I will lay bis case before the com- 
missioners for detecting conspiracies, to be appointed in pursuance of a 
late act of the Legislature, who I have no doubt will deal with him 
according to Justice in such Manner as will conduce most the Public 
Safety & Peace. I am with due Respect 

Youi- most obed' serv' 

Geo. Clinton. 



70 



No. XT. 



A Return of CoV Levi Pawling' s Regiment of Militia. Dated in Marble- 
town, this IT'A Day of Feby 1778. 



The Names of the Captains Com- 
manding tlie Companies. 


a 
a 

6 
1 




i 
S 

2 


n 
'I 

o 
9 


.2 

a 

3 

'2 
2 
2 

1 
2 
1 
1 
2 
2 

15 


1 
9 


1 

1 1 
m 

'4 "4 
4 4 

3 4 

4 4 
4 4 

3 3 

4 4 

3 2 

4 4 

33 33 


=8 
S 

(3 

"i' 
1 
1 
1 
1 

1 

_i 
7 


1 
> 

(14 


Field Officers, 


"41 










62 










51 










46 








49 










43 


Capt John Hasbrouck, 








40 


Capt Charles W. Brodhead 








39 


Capt Benjamin Kortreght, 








52 




1 


— 


~2 


423 



Levi Pawling, Colo- 



No. XII. 
Tflster County Militia Officers. 

The following list is fromthe Tour, of the Prov. Conv., (II. p. 134) : 

" A list of field officers for the county of Ulster, viz : 'Col. Johannes 
Hardeuburgh, Lieut. Col. Abra.ham Hasbrouck, Maj. Johannes Snyder, 
Maj. Jonathan Elmendorf, Adj't Petnis I. Elmendorf, Quarter-Master 
Abraham A. Htisbrouck. 

Col. .Tame.s Clinton, Lieut. Col. James Claughry, Major Jacob New- 
kerk, Major Moses Phillips, Adj't Gfeorge Denniston, Quarter-Master 
Alexander Trimble ; commissions dated 25th Oct., 1775. 

Col. Levi Pawling, Lieut. Col. Jacob Hornbeck, Maj. Johannes Can- 
tine, Miij. Joseph Hasbrouck, Adj't David Bevier, Quarter-Master 
Jacobus Brujn, Jr. ; commissions dated 25th Oct., 1775. 

Col. Jonathan Hasbrouck, Lieut. Col. Johannes Hardenbergh, Jr., 
Maj. Johannes Jansen, Jr., Maj. Lewis DuBois, Adj't. Abraham Schoon- 
maker, Quarter-Master Isaac Belknap; commissions dated 25th Oct., 
1775. ' 



INDEX 



Andre, Major 10 

Assembly, chamber in Kings- 
ton, 19 

members of, from 

Ulster county, . . 18 

Baldwin, James W., 17 

Bancker, Abram B., 13,32 

Evert, 20 

Gerard, 22 

Barber, Patrick, 49 

Barclay, John, 28, 31 

Bayard, Samuel, Jr., 23 

Beekman, James, 30 

Belknap, Isaac 70 

Benson, Capt., 21, 23 

Egbert, 20, 21 

Robert, 20 

Bettus, Gilead, 47 

Bevier, Andries, 70 

David, 70 

Bogardus, Evert, 16, 17, 19 

Boyd, Robert, Jr., 15 

Breast- works hill, 29 

Brewster, Samuel, 14, 69 

British vessel captured, 45 

Brodhead, Charles W., 70 

Bruyn, Jacobus, Jr., 70 

Mrs. Severyn, 32 

Burgoyne, General, 9, 28, 47 

Cautine, John 18, 70 

Matthew, 14, 15 

Moses, 58 

Cerberus 9 

Charleston, contribution of 

citizens, 39 

Clarke, Lieut., 9, 30 

Chnton, Charles, 14 

George,.. 4, 10, 12, 
14, 17, 18, 19, 22, 
24, 26, 27, 28, 29, 
40,41, 42, 43, 45, 

56, 57, 66, 69 
10 



Clinton, George, residence in 

Kingston, 19 

Sir Henry, ... 10, 54, 55 
James, . . 14, 57, 64, 70 

Colden, Cadwallader, 24 

Congresses, provincial, 14 

Constitution house, 16, 17 

Convention, resolves of, 15, 16, 20 

Council of safety, 20 

members of, 20, 26 
resolves of, . 20, 

26, 27, 49 
sessions of,. . . 50 
Court martial on Daniel Tay- 
lor, 55 

Crane, 9 

Denniston, George 70 

Dependence 9, 30, 34 

De Witt, Andries, 14 

Chai-les, 14, 15 

life,.' 61 

Dickenson, Gen., troops de- 
tached by, 44 

Diligent, 9 

DuBois, Lewis, 55, 70 

Dumond, Egbert, 14 

life, 58 

Duane, James 15 

Elmendorph, Conrad C, 23 

Cornelius C , . . 21 

John, 17 

Jonathan, 70 

Petrus L, 70 

Eltiuge, Roe'.if, 24 

Esopus, see Kingston. 

Experiment, 9, 53 

Falls, Mrs , 24 

Fleet prison, 21 

Forts in highlands, capture of, 6 

Friendship, 9, 33, 48 

Gasherie, Joseph, 22 

Gates, General, 26, 29, 39, 45, 46 



72 



Hammersley, Mrs. 32 

Hardenbergh, Johannes,. 14, 

15, 67, 70 

life, 57 

Johannes, Jr., 

65, 67, 70 

John A 70 

Johannes G., 

18, 23 
Hasbrouck, Abraham, 4, 14, 22, 70 

life 59 

Abraham A . , 70 

Jacob, 70 

John, 70 

Jonathan, 70 

life, 60 

services of 

regiment, 67 

Joseph, ..59, 60, 70 

Mss. diary, 4 

Hazlewood, Capt., 10 

Henry, John 22 

Hornbeck, Hendricus, 23 

Jacob, 14, 58, 70 

Hotham, Commodorr, 

letter to Lord Howe, 

5, 47, 63 

Hough taling, Wm., 30 

Howe, Sir William, 34 

Hudson, the sloop, 21, 23 

Hurley, council met at, 50 

guard report of army 

at, 6£, 66, 67 

Kiersted, Dr. Luke, 21 

Kingston, Chancellor Living- 
ston's donation, 40 
Charleston contri- 
bution, 39 

committee's ad- 
dress, 68 

constitution adopt- 

fd at, 17 

council resolutions 
for assistance 

to, 49 

date of the burn- 
ing, 3 

jail, r 21 

landing of the Brit- 
ish 30 

legislature met at, 

10, 18, 20 

light horse,. ... 21, 24 
newspaper acc'nts 

of burning, 35 

property destroyed 

at, 36, 38 

records removed 

fioui 23 



Kingston, supreme court met 

at 50 

trustees' minutes 

lost, 38 

works erected at, 11, 29 

Kortright, Benjamin, 70 

Lady Washington galley, 24, 

29, 30, 46, 66 
Legislature meets at Kingston, 

18, 19 

Lefever, Andries 14 

Lefferts, Bryan, 16 

Jacobus, . . 30, 32, 35, 60 

Livingston, Abraham, 40 

Henry, 10 

John, 36 

Roberta., 36 

Robert R., gives 

lands, 40 

Marbletown, council met at, . . 49 

McClaughrey, James, 25, 70 

McDonald, Angus, 24 

McKesson, John, 20 

Mercury, 9 

Minute men, 58, 61 

Morris, Governeur, 16 

New Kingston, 41 

Newkerk," Jacob, 70 

Nicholson, John, 14, 58 

Oliver, Andrew 49 

Palmer, Thomas, 14 

Parks, Arthur, 14, 26, 58 

Pawling, Albert, 58 

Levi, 14, 15, 18, 20, 
22, 23, 26, 

31 49, 70 

life, OS 

Petersham, Lord, 39 

Phillips, Moses, , 70 

Piatt, Zephaniah, 61 

Pone- hocliie, 29, 30 

Prescott, Richard, Gen , 10 

Pre.ston, 9, 49, 63 

Prisoners in guard house at 

Hurley, 65 

Putnam, Israel, Gen., 12, 42, 

43, 45 

Ransom, Peleg, 70 

Raven, 9 

Rawdon, Lord 10 

Rea, Matthew, ... . 14, 15, 18, 20 

life, 59. 

Records, Albany county 23 

Ulster county, ... 23, 38 

Westchester county, 23 

receiver general's, . . 23 

Ref. Dutch church,. 32 
Regiments, list of British, on 

the expedition,. 10 



73 



Regiments, American,.... 2.5, 66 
services of Has- 

brouok's, 67 

return of Paw- 
ling's 70 

Report, guard, 65, 67 

officer of da}-, at Hur- 
ley 66 

Rhineteck, iiouses burned at, 

37, 45 
Rochester, records removed 

to. 23 

Roudoiit, 30 

South, 30 

Salisbury, Silvester 21, 24 

Sands, Comfort, 23 

Saugerties, enemy near, . . . 42, 48 

Schooumaker, Abraham 70 

Cornelius C, 

18, 20, 58 
Frederick, . 21, 70 

.lochem, 70 

Scott, John Morin, 26, 60 

Senate chamber in Kingston, . 18 

Shawauguuk militia, 23 

Sill, Major, 7, 10 

Sleght, Johannes, 13, 49 

Smith, Nathan 49 

Snyder, Johannes, 14, 18, 20, 

22, 31, 70 

Spitfire 9 

Stanhope, J., Capt. 9, 63 

Stoutenburgh, Col. Francis, . . 35 

Sudam, Oko 23 

Supreme court, 19, 50 

Tack, Johannes, 49 

Tappeu, Christopher, 14, 15, 19, 23 

life, 62 

Tartar, 9, 63 

Taylor, Daniel, 12, 28, 37, 49 



Taylor, Daniel, life 54 

Ten Broeck, Peter, 35 

Trimble, Alexander 70 

Ulster county, boundaries in 

1777, 18 

clerks, 62 

common pleas 49 
jail, .. 13, 16, 21 
members of 

assembly, . . 18 
members of 

congress, . . 14 
militia officers 7n 

senator, 18 

Van Buren, ,Iudge, 23 

Van Courtlaudt, Pierre, 20, 

26, 27, 61 

Van Deusen, Jan., 50 

Van Gaasbeck, Abram 18 

Laurentius, . . 18 

Peter, .... 18, 30 

Van Steenbergh, Abram T., 17, 32 

Tobias, 32 

Vaughan, John, Gen., 9, 30, 

33, 39, 47 

Ufe, 54 

Wallace, Sir James, 9, 31, 34, 46 
list of his squadron, 9 

life, 53 

Washington's head quarters 

at Newburgh, 60 

Wawarsiiig, prisoners re- 
moved to, 13 

Whipple, Abraham, 53 

Wisner, Henry, Jr., 14, 15, 18, 59 
Wynkoop, Dirck, Jr., 22, 23. 

32, 49 

Margaret, 27 

Yates, Abraham, 20 

Robert, 15 



^ 



H 33 89 




^^ N. MANCHESTER, 
^^ INDIANA 46962 



